Memory of a Soul
by Airian Reesu
Summary: A girl’s strange memories, a group of odd friends, and a summoning ceremony all lead to trouble when a familiar member of the past is brought to the future. What will happen now…and how did he die in the first place? Rin, Sess
1. Strange

**Memory of a Soul **  
Ailian Rhys

**Summary**: A girl's strange memories, a group of odd friends, and a summoning ceremony all lead to trouble when a familiar member of the past is brought to the future. What will happen nowand how did he die in the first place? 

**Warnings:** This fic is kinda dark It doesn't seem so at first but it gets there in later chapters (such as chapter two for example) I'll only give it PG-13 now, but it may go up. Just be careful. 

**Disclaimers:** I do not own any character related to Inu Yasha found in this story. As to the "original" characters, they aren't really that important to me. And I don't think they're something worth taking. I do hope the plot is close to my own. No one should be as crazy as this story is. (Or in other words, as crazy as I am). 

Chapter One: Strange 

"Rinako!" 

The young woman stopped, tugging the strap of her bag higher up on her shoulder as she turned. A blur of blue and black was streaking towards her through the crowded sidewalk. Rinako stepped to the side to wait for her friend. 

It was indeed the girl she thought it was. The petite woman screeched to a halt before her, brown eyes alive. "Rinako! Guess what I heard!"

Rinako smiled at her friend cheerfully not at all perturbed by her frenzied greeting. Or the multiple eyes that were turned towards them as traffic continued to move past their little niche. "Hey, Azarni." She shifted the heavy book bag on her back again before pushing back the black braid that fell over her shoulder. 

Azarni was nearly leaping into the air with her repressed excitement. Rinako was a bit wary of what had her friend so agitated. Usually it wasn't a good thing. She didn't want any part of it is it was. But it would be rude not to at least listen to her, so Rinako hesitantly started the conversation. "So, what did you hear, Azarni-chan?" 

The girl in front of her suddenly stopped hopping around and took a quick glance around the surrounding area. Her eyes returned to Rinako's and the excitement still lurked within, bouncing around merrily in the brown depths. "I can't tell you here. Come with me." She grabbed her friend's thin arm and started to pull her out into the traffic again. "We can stop in the park and I'll tell you." 

Rinako tried to resist her friend's pull but her efforts were futile. Azarni was always stronger than she was and her excitement now made her doubly so. So she started to jog to keep up with the woman pulling her, whispering hasty apologizes to those they pushed aside. Rinako could almost feel all the annoyed glances that were shot at their retreating backs. But of course Azarni didn't stop. 

Rinako couldn't help but be irked by her friend's almost childish behavior. This irrational behavior would have been fine a few years ago when they were both young girls without a care. Rinako had loved to chase her friend through crowds. But things were different now. Both girls were in college now, Azarni at home, Rinako forced to share a dorm with a prissy roommate that she tried her best to avoid. Rinako would have been at home, if not for a certain accident a few years agoin which her only parent—her mother—had been killed. 

Yes, things were definitely different now. 

The two young women raced around the corner. Azarni was forced to skid to a stop, smoke almost flying up from her heels as they came inches from toppling over a young man carrying a vase of flowers. Rinako stopped just short of running her friend down and stared at the plant. They were white lilies that seemed to shimmer in the hazy city light. Rinako felt a slow smile cross her face. She loved flowers dearly. They were always so beautiful, no matter what color or kind. 

The beautiful flowers were replaced with the sight of the uniformed deliveryman's glaring face, breaking the moment for Rinako. "What the hell d'ya think you're doin'?" 

"Sorry!" Azarni called out, grabbing Rinako's hand and starting off again. Rinako tried to dig her heels into the ground and give a better apology to the stranger, but Azarni gave a powerful tug and she found herself stumbling after her friend once more. 

The two whipped around another corner. Rinako finally decided to speak up. "Azarni—" she started between pants. "Where are we going?" 

Her escort suddenly stopped dead in the middle of the sidewalk. This time Rinako did stumble into her, slamming against Azarni's back with a breathy gasp. But the other woman seemed to be made of stone and barely flinched under the attack. Her eyes—growing steadily to the size of saucers—were fixed across the street. 

"Look!" she hissed, pointing across the way. Rinako followed her finger and saw that it pointed to a small shop. It was one that appeared to specialize in more traditional clothing, if the model in the window was any indication. Rinako gave the building an once-over hoping to find what interested her friend so much. She could see two people through the front display window. One of them appeared to be a salesclerk—dressed in traditional kimono, while the other had to be a customer. A very familiar customer. 

Rinako sighed. It was Sachiko. What a surprise. Azarni's older adopted sister was always of the greatest interest to the other woman. Rinako could remember nights years ago at Azarni's house where the girl would spend an hour trying to hear through the wall that seperated the two sisters' bedrooms as Rinako wold read in the moonlight. Or whenever she saw her sister outside of the house Azarni would always have to stop and see what she had been up to. It'd been like that for years. 

When Rinako had asked her friend about it Azarni had insisted that her sister was up to something. She could _feel_ it. Azarni had always thought her sister to be strange, and Rinako couldn't blame her. Sachiko _was_ a bit eccentric. What with her hundreds of history books and the odd stories she used to write—ones about demons and ancient secrets, and then her insistence of dyeing her hair white constantly. But Rinako could overlook that. Sachiko was a very nice girl once you got past her normally stoic exterior. 

When they were younger Sachiko used to play with both of them. Of course they would have to act out her demon stories, but it was still fun. Rinako was always given the role of the kind human girl, which suited her just fine. Azarni was always the loud half-demon—which Sachiko had explained to be a mix of both human and demon—while Sachiko always acted the part of the sophisticated full demon. They had had countless of adventures, in which the two sisters had bickered constantly, and in the end had always gotten the prize. They were always searching for a key chain Sachiko had received once from an old shrine near the outskirts of Tokyo. Rinako didn't remember what she'd called it. She could only remember that it was a circular pink stone that would always reflect misty pink lines whenever it hit the light. 

Yet as time went on they had drifted away from such childish games and now Rinako barely ever saw Sachiko. The older girl now spent most of her time with a large group of friends that Azarni openly declared to be "past strange". They were rather creepy Rinako had to admit, from the few that she'd met. Most of them looked normal enough, wearing modern clothes and carrying standard book bags. There were a few however that dressed all in black and had strange tattoos and all sorts of things Rinako would rather not think about. Yet there was something about all of them that always set Rinako on edge. Just something about the way they looked at her, with a sort of condescending apathy that chilled her. Azarni insisted that they had to be some sort of cult or something equally as bizarre. And naturally, the other girl was determined to find out exactly what they were, no matter what. 

That obsession of hers was most likely why the two were standing in the middle of a crowded sidewalk staring at an old kimono shop. "Azarni, I don't really see why this matters so much," she mumbled, pulling on her friend's arm in an attempt to move her out of the way. Azarni would have none of it and continued to stare across the street. 

"Is she gonna start dressing weird too? Figures," she snorted disdainfully. "Crazy Sachiko." 

"Azarni"

"What? You think she's weird too! You said so the other day."

"Actually, what I said was that her friends are a bit odd. That's all."

Azarni whirled around and caught Rinako's dark brown eyes with her excited ones. "Yes! That's what I wanted to tell you about. Her friends. I heard them talking about something today. Something only a really odd group of people would do, I'm sure." 

Rinako shook her head. "Azarni. You really should stop this nonsense and just get on with—"

"Shhh!" Azarni hissed, grabbing her friend's arm and yanking her behind a parked car along the side of the street. "She's coming out. Let's see what she's got!" 

Rinako hunkered down beside her friend, starting to become dizzy with all the topic changes Azarni was going through. She felt as if she'd been left behind somewhere. 

The two young women watched Azarni's sister come out of the shop carrying a dress bag on one arm. Her simulated white hair gleamed in the sunlight. Her light brown eyes were scanning the area with a lazy gaze that didn't fool Rinako. She knew Sachiko was aware of everything around her. She'd always been that way. Sachiko walked with a very peculiar grace that Rinako remembered her practicing when they were children. 

Rinako had always thought that Sachiko was very pretty. Her skin was very fair and her eyes were long-lashed. Her face had a noble set to it, with high cheekbones and straight perfect nose. She was only average height; a few inches taller than Rinako was now, but she carried herself like a much larger and more imposing figure. 

That same Sachiko she remembered was now walking nonchalantly down the street, her hidden sister watching her like a hawk. "I wonder what's in the bag"

"Probably nothing but a simple kimono. No big deal." 

Azarni snorted again, getting to her feet as Sachiko continued down the opposite sidewalk. "No big deal... Wait until you hear what I heard. Then it might be a big deal." 

Rinako was getting a bit annoyed now. She had homework that needed to be done and here she was listening to her crazy friend babble and repeat herself. "Then tell me already!" 

Azarni stared at her as if she'd grown a second head. "Rinako?"

The woman sighed, running her hand through her dark hair. "I'm sorry Azarni. But I don't really have all day to wait for you. I really need to get some work done." 

The other woman gave her a soft glance. "I'm sorry too, Rinako. But this is really important. Let's go into that café down the road," she jerked her thumb to the right, " and I'll tell you there, okay?" 

"That's fine." They started off again, this time Azarni allowing Rinako to walk on her own. They stepped into the tiny shop, which had some strange western music playing in the background that could barely be heard over the loud buzz of conversation. Apparently this was a big college spot. Azarni lead her over to a small table in the back corner that looked to have just been recently unoccupied. It was litter with muffin wrappers and an empty cardboard coffee cup. Rinako took the time to check her chair before she sat down. Azarni pushed all of the garbage to the side and leaned over the table. Rinako found herself mimicking her friend's posture. 

"You see, Rinako, I—"

"Can I help you ladies?"

Both women jumped back and whirled around to face the speaker. It was one of the waiters in the tiny café. He was dressed in the cream-colored polo shirt that had the café's name printed on it. Clipped under the logo was a small nametag that said Ryoichi'. And just by looking at him Rinako knew it was one of Sachiko's friends. She could just feel it in her bones. 

"Err" Azarni began, but the young man interrupted her easily. 

"You're Sachiko's little sister, right?" He gave them a broad grin that was supposed to be disarming. But it did nothing to calm Rinako's nerves at all. Instead it set them on edge. 

"Erryeah, I am. What of it?" Azarni became defensive with the last bit, folding her arms haughtily. 

Ryoichi waved his arms hastily, his rather handsome face wearing a look of shock. "Hey, no need to get so defensive, girl. I was just wonderin', that's all." He smiled at them again, and Rinako got the impression of an animal for the briefest instant. "So, what can I getcha?" His unique green eyes drifted in Rinako's direction then and seemed to linger there. Rinako shifted uneasily. 

"Err" Azarni seemed to be fond of saying that. "How about a mocha? Anda bit of green tea for my friend here." 

Pulling his eyes back to Azarni he nodded. "Easily done." He threw them a wink before turning around and heading for the main counter. 

Azarni sighed in relief. "Thank God he's gone"

Rinako raised her eyebrow at her friend, trying to hide her own relief behind the sardonic expression. "I hope you're paying, dear." 

Azarni sighed again, looking down at her purse. "If I have enough I will" 

The two decided mutually to wait for him to hand over their drinks before starting the real conversation. They scrambled for things to talk about; their attention now firmly focussed on the strange waiter moving around behind them at the counter. Rinako just couldn't shake the feeling that he was staring at her back but she didn't dare turn around to see. 

Azarni was babbling something about a sociology paper she was going to have to do soon when Ryoichi came back, plunking their drinks on the table with an easy smile. "Here ya go." His eyes scanned the table and caught sight of all the garbage. "Oh, let me clean that up for you." He leaned over beside Rinako's left shoulder and started to clear the table. Rinako shuddered at his closeness. Something was just _wrong_ about himshe couldn't really explain it, but he just gave off this sort of dark _presence_. 

"All clean now," Ryoichi stated pleasantly, giving them what had to be his standardized grin before walking away and throwing out the trash. Again Rinako was reminded of an animal; she could just picture that mouth full of fangs She shook her head. What was _wrong _with her? He had been perfectly nice to them. These odd thoughts must be Azarni's influence. That's all it was 

Azarni watched the waiter long after he'd left, as if to make sure he wouldn't come back. When she was apparently satisfied she focussed on Rinako again, her normally bright eyes dark. "He creeps me out." 

Rinako nodded tentatively. "Yeah"

"And to think, he was shamelessly flirting with you."

"_What_?" Rinako started to shriek but dropped her voice instantly. She stared at her friend with wide eyes. "_Flirting_ with _me_?"

Azarni nodded, strangely serious. Normally she would have been bouncing all over the place with such news. "You didn't see the looks he was giving you from the counter. They gave me the creeps and they weren't even for _me_. And then how he learned over near you. It's just scary" 

Rinako shifted uncomfortably in her seat, wanting to turn around to see if he was still behind her, but didn't. Instead she took a sip of her tea. "Let's get this conversation over with and get out of here." 

Azarni agreed leaning over the table slightly, her mocha left untouched. "I'll make this quick. But promise me you'll believe me, okay?"

"Sure." Anything to get her out of here. 

"Okay, you see, I was walking to my last class, and I saw a bunch of Sachiko's friend's hanging around together. I'd seen them all before with her, so I knew it was them. They were talking about something in low voices. It just so happened that I had to go past them, so I took the opportunity to eavesdrop as I went by."

Rinako made a face at that and Azarni sent her an aggravated glance. "Hey, if you saw a whole bunch of strange people talking in whispers together, you would be curious too."

_Probably not_Rinako thought, but let her friend continue. 

"Anyway, they were really quiet, so I had to strain to hear. But I did catch a few things and I'm _positive_ I heard them right." Here Azarni leaned over even closer until she was almost halfway across the table. Her eyes glimmered darkly, a mix of fear and wary excitement. She whispered, her voice a soft hiss. "Their gonna do a summoning ceremony'. And if the library was right, then their gonna be bringing someone back from the _dead_. Tonight." 

**-**

**A/N:** Look! My muse lives! ::waves a little flag:: Yay! It's about freakin' time too

Now, I have the next chapter done already. It's the part that got my muse going in the first place. But, before you get to it, please stop and think for a minute. Try to figure out who may be who and what might happen next. I think you may be able to figure it out. And, if you'd be so kind, could you tell me if you did? I'm working on foreshadowing skills. (How fun is that? Hey, the muse works in odd ways) Give me feedback on connections made in this story. That's what I'm aiming for. Thanks! (There, for those of you who never know what to say ::_cough_likeme_cough_:: I gave you a focus point!)


	2. Upheaval

**Memory of a Soul **  
Ailian Rhys

**Warnings:** Little messy in this chapter. Could be worse. But then again I find that my morbid stuff always come out rather well. O_o? Scary thought. 

**Disclaimers:** Same as before. Will be the same all the way through, so there. 

Chapter Two: Upheaval 

Rinako hunched down in the worn black seat, hands shoved in the pockets of her coat. She peered out through the windshield of Azarni's old beat-up black car, watching the apartment building in front of her. Azarni had decide it would be best to wait and see where Sachiko went, since the woman firmly believed her sister had a big hand in this ceremony. So now they were parked on a side street where they could still see her sister's apartment complex, waiting to see if she came out. 

As to why Rinako was thereshe didn't really understand the reason herself. As soon as the words had left Azarni's mouth in that café, Rinako knew she _had_ to go with her friend. Some little voice inside her mind had started screaming that thought at her full blast. And she couldn't say no. 

And so she now sat in the car, watching the boring sidewalk in front of an apartment building with a sense of fear slowly creeping up to tighten in her chest. They'd been there since seven, when the sun had set. It was now about nine o'clock and still nothing happened. People passed by the building on the sidewalk, but they were just normal people going about normal business. 

"Where the _hell_ are they?" Azarni hissed from her side of the car, behind the steering wheel. She was hunched down too, since it was rather chilly that night and she didn't have the car on. 

"How can you be sure Sachiko's part of this, anyway?"

"I just _know_ it, all right!" Azarni snapped. 

Rinako shifted to look out the window, wounded by her friend's sharp tone. She heard Azarni sigh behind her. "Sorry, Rinako. I'm a bit edgy. I shouldn't have snapped." 

Rinako glanced back over at her, a ghost of a smile managing to wobbly its way over her lips. "That's okay. I'm edgy too this whole concept is creeping me out." 

As soon as they had left the café that afternoon Rinako had gone home and hopped on her old laptop. The thing was as slow as a freaking half-dead snail, but she'd eventually got online and looked up some information on summoning ceremonies. And what she read had chilled her. Granted, not all summoning ceremonies were like the one Azarni was sure they were doing. Many involved only spirits and such. But they few that mentioned the dead were terrifying. Words like chants, magic, and _sacrifices_ had come up a few times. Not to mention the idea of opening up graves. Many people online had stated how such things were nonsense, hoaxes at best. 

But Rinako wasn't too sure. There was a feeling in her that told her that it _was_ real. And it was going to happen tonight. She had no idea who it was they were trying to awaken, but whoever it was they had to be big news. Why else would they go through all this trouble? 

"Rinako!" Azarni whispered urgently, poking her friend on the arm. Rinako sprang back into focus, turning to look at her companion. "Look over there!"

A dark red sedan had pulled up to the curb in front of the apartment building. A dark green SUV came to rest right behind it soon after. The front doors opened on the car and two people stepped out, both dressed in elaborate old-age outfits. Rinako gasped when she recognized the waiter Ryoichi to be one of them. His haori was dark red with black patterns around the edges that she couldn't discern from this distance. It reminded her too much of blood and Rinako started to feel queasy. She swallowed the feeling instantly. 

The other person to get out of the vehicle was a woman. Her hair was long and shined a bright red in the moonlight, but other than that Rinako couldn't see much of her since she was on the other side of the car. Both of the woman in the black car watched as their former waiter went up the steps of the apartment building and hit the intercom button. The woman waited by the car, occasionally turning around to speak to whoever sat in the back. 

Soon the door to the building opened and Sachiko came out. She wore a dark blue kimono that had blood red moons sewn into the fabric. Over her arm was slung the same dress bag that they'd seen her with earlier today. 

Ryoichi bowed to the woman when she appeared, seeming to be paying reverence. Sachiko gave him a slight nod before pulling herself up and descending the stairs gracefully as if walking down to meet her subjects. The red haired lady moved forward and bowed as well. The two spoke together for a minute before the lady ushered Sachiko into the front seat of the car. She went in the back while Ryoichi circled around to get in front. And few minutes later the car started up and the headlights flickered on. The SUV followed suit and soon the two had pulled away from the curb and started down the street. 

Azarni reached for her keys. "Here we go!"

"But what if they notice us!" Rinako whispered hoarsely, thinking of the green SUV. How many people did they have in there? 

"No time to worry about that! We have to follow them!" 

She turned the car on and hit the gas, not bothering to turn on her headlights. They leapt forward, the old car protesting this sudden abuse with a groan, and soon they were following the two vehicles 

"Where can they be going?" Azarni wondered aloud for the fifth time that night. Rinako shrugged, eyes intent on the road. The digital clock in the car flashed that it was almost one in the morning. They'd been driving for hours and still the two vehicles in front of them kept going. They were on the back roads now and it had taken some crafty moves on Azarni's part to keep her car from being seen. They didn't know if they had all worked, but the group they were following didn't seem to be in a hurry to lose them. 

Rinako had offer to make a quick switch with Azarni an hour ago, but the girl had refused, saying that by now she was so wired that she could drive all night. And Rinako knew how she felt. The farther out from the city they went the more nervous and jittery she became until she was sure that her stomach would explode from the amount of butterflies in it before they got wherever they were headed. Right now her hand clutched the door armrest, her eyes fixated on the small red taillights ahead of them. Azarni still had the headlights off and it was only thanks to the moonlight that they could see.

Thinking of the moon, Rinako pulled her eyes from the windshield to peer out the side window. The sky was clear blue tonight, littered with thousands of white pinhole stars. But what drew her attention was the moon. It hovered in the air above them, a slim glittering crescent. Yet despite it's size it was giving off enough light to be considered a full moon. The light it gave off was cold and lonely however and Rinako shivered. 

She couldn't wait until this was all over. 

Turing back to face front Rinako noticed the SUV ahead of them put on its blinker. "Azarni."

"Yeah, I see it. Hopefully we aren't far." 

She waited for the cars ahead of them to turn before following them, not bothering to signal. The SUV continued to lumber on and Azarni groaned. "I hope we have enough gas for this. This baby here eats gas like there's no tomorrow."

Rinako simply nodded vaguely at her friend's comment, not really hearing it. She was too preoccupied with the sense of dread that suddenly washed over her. She stared straight ahead. Something inside of her was telling her they were close—really close. The young woman started to shiver uncontrollably as if icy fingers were crawling up her spine. She'd never been so afraid in all her life. 

It didn't take long to reach their destination. Both women saw it before the group ahead of them even turned. It was a huge cemetery that spread out from a stone wall to a good-sized shrine in the back. The moonlight seemed to be centered on that one shrine, reflecting of its lacquered walls and tiled roof to spread out over the headstones below. Some of these stones were plain, but a few were huge ornamented things that cast long dark shadows in the light. 

Rinako felt her heart start pounding a million miles a minute. She had to take a deep breath to steady herself. This was it. It had to be. 

And certain enough it was. They watched the two automobiles ahead of them turn into the open gates. Azarni instantly pulled over to the side of the road and shut the car off. Both of the women stared at each other wordlessly for a long moment before opening their doors slowly and crawling out of the car. They were careful to shut the doors just as quietly and with a motion from Azarni they crept up to the gates. Leaning over cautiously they peered inside. 

The vehicles were drawn over to the side of the path and a bunch of people piled out of the SUV. About nine scrambled out of the back while three hopped out of the front. Rinako didn't know how they could have fit so many in there for such a long ride. 

The people were a mixture of men and women, all dressed in ancient dress. They all flocked around the red sedan, waiting for those inside to get out. Ryoichi was the first, coming around to open the back door for the person behind him. A young woman stepped out, dressed in a male's haori and kimono. She had dark black hair that looked as if it could suck in all the light about her. She stepped back to allow Ryoichi to go to the other side and help the redhead from before slide out. She stood proud in her brilliant white kimono decorated with dark blue swirls with a yellow and blue obi tied about her waist. 

She too stepped aside and Ryoichi opened the last door and Sachiko stepped out. All of the people from the SUV clustered about her suddenly dropped to their knees, performing a deep kowtow to the woman who stood tall and proud before them. She still carried the dress bag from before and now she took the time to uncover whatever was inside. Tossing the bag to the waiting Ryoichi, she held up something white. It looked to be an outfit similar to those the men wore now, except it shone in the night, the white so brilliant that Rinako had to look away after a while. But she did notice the markings on the one shoulder that looked the color of blood, and how Sachiko held this beautiful outfit up to herself. It was much too big for her, nearly dwarfing her with its brilliance, but she stood her ground. 

"And from this night forward I shall be acquainted with my former self," she spoke clearly, calling everyone's attention to her smooth calm voice. All of those gathered around her murmured quietly in what sounded to be approval. 

The redheaded woman and the strange black-haired girl came up to Sachiko then and the kimono-clad lady gestured for the outfit. Sachiko handed it to her with a disdainful glance. 

Rinako watched in fascinated silence as they all moved further into the cemetery. Thankfully the cars were out of the spying women's line of sight. They group stopped on what appeared to be an empty spot in the cemetery. There weren't any gravestones here but still no one had buried anyone, despite the rest of the graveyard being full. 

The party circled this empty area with the four from the car standing at one end. The redhead seemed to take charge then, taking a step forward and lifting her arms. All of the people from the SUV mimicked her, their voluminous sleeves falling down their arms. Everyone else from the car took a step back, even Sachiko, who watched all that was happening with a lazy gaze.

"I invoke magic of a time once known," the redhead intoned, her voice taking on a darker tone. As soon as those words left her mouth she changed. The air about her wavered and soon her ears lengthen to points and her fingers lengthen into wicked looking talons. Her hair grew in length until it sprawled across the green grass and her skin darkened to a dark brown. Her eyes, once a pale blue now became orange and slitted. Her whole body bent forward slightly and what appeared to be a black tail broke through her obi and kimono to waver in the wind. 

Rinako waned to scream. She wanted to run away. But she couldn't, she was frozen. She couldn't even turn to look at Azarni, who undoubtedly was as affected as she was. All she could do was watch the scene in front of her unfold. 

No one else in the group seemed to be affected by the lady's change. They even closed their eyes, tilting their heads back. 

"We invoke magic of our old lives," they recited as one and again the air appeared to ripple like water. 

Rinako almost fell over in a dead faint. They were changing as well. But many of them didn't even look human. Instead they became all sorts of different beasts covered in hair and scales with sharp claws and atypical ears. Some stood on two legs while others fell to four. And still others fell to eight, hundreds, or none, depending. 

Somehow she managed to drag her eyes to where Sachiko stood. The people there were changing as well, the woman morphing into what appeared to be a cat creature with cat ears and leopard like spots in her hair and on her skin. The other one to morph was Ryoichi, who now sprouted a pair of dark green wings, which he was flapping experimentally as if trying to become reacquainted with them. His face was still human but now his hair fell like feathers about him, wavering in the breeze. His hands were clawed like a hawk and a faint layer of green feathers started halfway up his arm to run under his haori. 

The only one present that didn't change at all was Sachiko. She stood amongst all this and watched them with what appeared to be an impatient look. But if Rinako stared at her long enough she could see the hesitation that was shining in her eyes. 

By now the transformations were complete and the creatures were now stretching and scratching, as if trying to fit into an favorite suit that they hadn't used in a long while. There were some murmurs as well as growls and hisses. The lead woman called their attention with a commanding growl and they immediately stopped, falling back into their circle. 

"And with this power let us begin," she remarked, her voice much more guttural than before. She raised her arms while everyone in the circle only lifted their head high, since it was now impossible for many of them to raise arms, and she began, starting to chant quietly in a growling rough language that jarred Rinako's nerves. The two creatures on either side of Sachiko raised their arms as well and began to repeat her words. 

The intoning began to swell in volume as if thousands of voices were starting to follow along. Rinako cringed, finally finding enough sense to cover her ears. If she didn't she felt they would burst. She felt Azarni back up into her and the two huddled together in fear. This was far stranger than either could have imaged would happen. 

In that instant Rinako realized something. Demons. That's what those things were. Demons like the ones in Sachiko's stories. 

Oh, how she wanted to go back to that afternoon and persuade Azarni not to do this

The voices kept going behind the wall. The two women finally found the will to look at them again. And Rinako nearly gasped. Dancing around all the creatures in the circle was a whitish haze that had veins of black as dark as pitch racing through it. It swirled around them, closing around them, becoming thicker and thicker until it was almost opaque. But Rinako managed to see underneath it and saw that the earth on the inside was cracking open like it would in an earthquake. The cracks stretched like questing fingers over the surface until just before the circling feet. 

Now the chanting rose to such a volume that Rinako's hands couldn't protect her ears any longer, and then it stopped. The woman's lips were still moving, but Rinako couldn't hear it. For a moment she thought she went deaf, but she heard Azarni's raspy breathing right in front of her and was certain that wasn't the case. It seemed that they were now too high and loud for her to hear. Which was impossible! 

But it had to be so. There was no other explanation. She didn't think the woman would just stand there and mime the words. 

But this odd phenomenon was soon pushed out of her mind by still yet another. There was a swell in the white power around them all and it rushed up to the center only to clash together in a stunning white-hot explosion that shot towards the ground. 

And then it was gone. 

The woman continued to chant but the other two stopped, their lips falling still. Nothing was happening; the power was just gone. But Rinako could still feel its presence, stirring her blood and setting her nerves on edge all at once. 

_OhGOD! _

All of a sudden the light exploded from the ground. It grasped for each of the beasts around the circle except for those who had been chanting and Sachiko. It cut through them easily like a blade, blood splattering everywhere. There were many inhuman shrieks as this power tore through their bodies, sending limbs flying towards the center. Whole chunks of flesh hit some of the distant headstones only to be magically drawn back to the center of the circle. Rivers of blood lifted a few inches above the soil to drain back into the pile of demon in the center, which started to sink into the cracks. 

And still the woman chanted.

Rinako doubled over, bile rising in the back of her throat. She leaned to the side and threw up, hearing Azarni whimper and do the same. Rinako wanted to continue throwing up until there was nothing left of her to witness this_horror_, but unfortunately she couldn't do it. After her dinner and afternoon tea came back up there was nothing but dry heaves. She wiped her mouth on her coat sleeve and turned to look at Azarni, whose eyes were shinning with panic in the night. 

Rinako was about to suggest that they leave, _now_, but something within her wouldn't allow her to open her mouth. She felt her eyes involuntarily drawn back to the graveyard. Which was now perfectly clean of any sign of the slaughter, despite the fact that the people that had been there were gone. The cracks seemed to have soaked up all of the aftermath quiet efficiently. 

Now all that remained where the woman and her two companions demons. Sachiko still stood with them, but her impassive face was gone now, replaced with one of horror. 

And still the demon chanted, her voice falling back into a range that Rinako could hear. The words sounded demanding, as if she was trying to force something to come out of the ground.

Which apparently she was. 

The cracked earth trembled after a while, grinding as dirt slid against gritty dirt. The jagged pieces started to spilt further apart and with a sudden shower of dirt and grass a large white form appeared out of the soil. It was tucked into a rectangular crevice in the earth that could only be a grave. But this thingwasn't human. 

It was a mammoth _dog_. 

The creature swayed unsteadily as it rose to its feet, which Rinako saw it only had three of. It tossed its gigantic head, ears flopping against its powerful jaws. She could see the glimmering fangs as the beast opened its mouth slightly. It gave a dog-like cough as if trying to get rusty lungs to work again. A large white tail uncurled from around its sleek white body and stretched out in the moonlight. Despite the dirt flying around –and that fact that it came out of a _grave– _its coat was still pristine white. It's white head turned in such a way to allow Rinako to see the creature's face and she saw it had strange stripes on its cheeks, just as it did on others parts of its body, she soon noticed. 

But what really drew her attention were the creature's eyes. It had none. They were just blank white orbs in its white face that stared at nothing. 

As she stared at the huge dog Rinako felt her heart quicken. For some reasonsome little voice in her head was calling out to the creature. The woman furiously suppressed this voice, thinking that she was starting to go insane from the trauma tonight. It wouldn't go away though...

Sachiko seemed to have forgotten the bloodbath before. As the woman continue to intone the strange words, this time becoming softer and softer, the human woman stepped forward, her steps hesitant and her expression one of complete awe. 

"So it _was_ true" she whispered her voice almost too soft for Rinako to hear. She continued walking towards the mammoth creature before her, which dwarfed her like a child would an ant. It didn't seem to notice her, standing in its old resting-place and panting slightly. 

The other demons in the area watched the woman spread her arms out in front of the beast before of her, the beginnings of triumphant smiles on their faces. But Rinako barely glanced at them, her eyes caught on the figure of Sachiko and the beast, to which she was exposing herself to whatever harm those claws could give her by closing her eyes and titling her head back in what appeared to be ecstasy. "I was right!" she screamed, her voice echoing through the graveyard.

It was then that the creature looked at her with those sightless eyes. They pinned on her, despite the apparently lack of pupil or iris to tell, and Sachiko gasped, eyes flying open. She convulsed once before a black mist rose up from her. She stood frozen in a completely unnaturally position as this mist rose. More of it began to rise from the earth about the beast and start curling around its limbs. The creature didn't notice it; its eyes still on Sachiko. Soon those eyes started to form, first a black pupil followed by an iris of almost heavenly gold. They would have been almost ethereal if not for the coldness that soon crept in to ice them over. 

The woman demon finally stopped chanting and only stared up at the beast in front of her, her expression one of complete and utter triumph. 

Sachiko still stood twisted in her earlier convulsion, her eyes and mouth wide as if in shock or pain. Soon her head lolled to the side and Rinako bit back a gasp. Her eyes were as white as the creature's had been. The body of Azarni's former sister crumpled to the ground after that. 

Azarni gave a soft whimper and Rinako threw her hand over her friend's mouth immediately. For some reason she had the impression that that beast would be able to hear her when the other hadn't. 

The dog creature in front of the demons hunkered down slightly on its three legs and seemed to stare at them all with a cold calculating gaze. The demons watched him in silence for a long moment until the woman gestured to Ryoichi who turned around and gathered up the dress bag that sat behind him. He withdrew the white material and held it out to the large creature as if he expected it to use it. 

The dog gazed at them all a bit longer before sniffing slightly, its nose twitching. Those gold eyes flickered around the walled in cemetery quickly and settled on the entrance. But Rinako had felt that would happen and pulled back just in time, yanking Azarni back with her. They sat in a heap, trying not the breath too loudly, before Rinako inched up to peer around the edge of the wall again. 

Her eyes grew wide. A familiar mist was swirling around the beast now and she watched as it shrunk in size, its body morphing until a human figure stood in its place. This figure was undressed, with very fair skin and long white hair that flowed around its form like liquid. Ryoichi hurried over to the strange human in an instant, helping them with sliding into the elegant garb. The two demon women watched in silence, the cat-like woman with a look of fascination while the other had an expression of all out rapture.

As soon as the stranger was properly dressed in the white silk Ryoichi withdrew and together the remaining survivors all fell to their knees and kowtowed deeply. 

"Welcome back to the living realm, Sesshoumaru-sama," they stated as one, bowing and scarping in a way that seemed so odd considering the noble bearing they had held before.

Rinako felt her eyes drawn to the standing figure of this Sesshoumaru-sama and she bit her tongue to keep from crying out. The creature there looked so much like Sachiko it was astounding, yet where Sachiko had looked pretty, this stranger was _beautiful_. Fair skin now held marks similar to those the huge dog had worn, contrasting starkly with the white flesh and the golden eyes that took in all that was happen with a gaze of such apathy that Sachiko would never have been able to achieve. 

As if hearing her thoughts those eyes flashed in her direction with such speed that she didn't have the chance to hide. The gaze settled on her body like stone, slowly crushing her. She couldn't breathe. 

_This_ had to be the most terrifying moment in her life. 

Yet as soon as those eyes had landed on her they turned away to focus on the groveling demons once more. 

"Humans." The voice that spoke was deep and smooth, definitely a man's voice although the figure it came from could have been either. It was a voice that froze the terrified Rinako to the very bone, making it so that she couldn't move. But apparently Azarni wasn't as affected. She stumbled hastily to her feet and grabbed Rinako's arm. 

"Come on!" she hissed, tears streaming down her face. 

Rinako couldn't move. She continued to stare at the strange man. She barely noticed as the other demons raised their heads and glanced around. She couldn't care as the creatures rose to their feet and two of them started towards them. 

"Rinako!" Azarni was screaming now, pulling so insistently that she nearly yanked her friend's arm from its socket. "Come ON! We're going to DIE!" The last was a hysterical wail that burst through the night. 

It was this cry that made the strange white man turn his gaze towards them once more. Rinako stared into those golden eyes and felt herself silently pleading with them. 

_You wouldn't do this to meYou wouldn't let them hurt me _

To her astonishment he seemed to hear –-or rather sense— her cries. Something flickered in those cold eyes that seemed almost to be remembrance. His voice soon cut through the silence. 

"Bring them to me. Alive." 

Rinako felt Azarni slump against her body in a dead faint and as soon as clawed hands wrapped around her wrist Rinako felt herself slip away as well. 

But right before she closed her eyes the woman saw the demon man still watching her, eyes gleaming like twin suns in the moonlight. 

--

**A/N:** So, was that expected? I must say I had waaaay too much fun writing this part. I am such a sadist.

This muse is pretty much eating away at my mind. So hopefully with the time I now have I will get it done. And maybe this muse will also help me get my other stuff moving. ::looks at FY fic:: Stupid cute scenes. I need angst! 

::walks away mumbling:: 


	3. Ages

**Memory of a Soul **  
Ailian Rhys

**Disclaimer:** See previous. 

Chapter Three: Ages

He had absolutely no idea what that thing was. It had wheels like a carriage—although much more solid and colored like pitch—yet the shape was nothing like any coach he'd ever seen. Its whole form seemed to be made of a substance similar to a sword, but it appeared much thinner and had a strange scent to it that was far different from sword steel. And how was it supposed to move? That black inuyoukai had told him it was for transportation, but he couldn't determine how. Unless that smaller red not-steel coach before it pulled it, but how did _that_ get anywhere? 

The great Sesshoumaru-sama pondered this as he waited for the other youkai to bring back the spying humans. These thoughts—although straining his curiosity—were much easier for him to contemplate than what had just happened moments before. Not the ceremony, he knew exactly what that had been. He didn't know why it had occurred but was certain these mongrels had some reason for it. What was most perplexing to him were the humans. Or one in particular. She—

Sesshoumaru felt the muscles in his lone arm tighten but he forced them to relax before they became a fist, so the youkai woman hovering behind him wouldn't notice his agitation. It took much longer than he would have liked to have the tendons obey him as they had before—yet he supposed all of his built up skills and gained instincts would have to return to him. Yet despite that he knew he still had power over the servile demons around him. 

"Sesshoumaru-sama, may this meek Yayoi direct your attention this way?" the female inuyoukai muttered respectfully behind him, her husky voice tentative and polite. He knew she was acting, or at least that such a tone was something very uncommon for her to ever use. 

He did not respond right away. Instead he turned his head to glance at where the other two youkai had gone. The nekoyoukai had one of the humans, the one he had no concern for. She dragged the unconscious form behind her over the gravel carelessly. Luckily for her he had only said alive, not unscathed, or she would need to be punished. The other, who appeared to be a mongrel toriyoukai, carried the other one, actually taking the effort to lift her from the ground and hold her in his arms. 

The taiyoukai felt his eyes unconsciously drift towards this girl and settle on her. She did look very similar to his young ward, didn't she? But how could it be her? 

Sesshoumaru was not stupid. He could figure out that he was no longer in his era. The strange transportation and the very scent of the earth was enough to tell him that. He wasn't even remotely close to the Sengoku Jidai. The land about him had the scent of dead youkai. Apparently descendants of his clan had been buried about him after his death. 

Yet beyond the smell of deceased demon was the hideous stench ofhumans. And not just the two they had found either. The whole atmosphere seemed to be permanently infused with their odor, every part of the earth screamed of a human impact to his keen senses. The putrid, bitter stench of a village of humans had been aggravating before. But now it was almost overwhelming. He still felt a trace of the nausea he'd experienced only moments before when his senses had first awakened again. It had been as if someone had blown a whole cloud of human stench directly into his face. 

It seemed that in this new era youkai were the minority. Or perhaps not even large enough to be considered that. And if the three who soon gathered about him were any indication, it really was no surprise that it was so. He felt no other youki even half as strong as his own anywhere nearby. 

The girl shifted in the tori's arms, almost as if she was sleeping. That was when Sesshoumaru noticed that he was still staring at her and dragged his eyes away to stare upwards at the sky. The moon was that of his clan, the crescent. No wonder they had performed this ritual tonight. 

He would not think of the girl anymore tonight. Not until his mind was clear again. Right now his thoughts were jumbled, as if he'd stepped into an untidy room and everything needed to be reordered again. 

"Sesshoumaru-sama, this humble Yayoi wonders what—"

"They will come with me." If she was his ward or not, he needed to figure that out. She would come, no complaints. 

"Hai, Sesshoumaru-sama." There was a rustle of silk as the demon bowed. "Will it please Sesshoumaru-sama to come with me? There are items of yours to be retrieved." 

Only then did he turn to look at the inuyoukai. She kept her eyes lowered respectfully. But the respect did not come from fear; the scent was nowhere to be found on her. Instead it appeared to come from training. Training and a sense of worship that he actually found quite unsettling. Contrary to popular belief he did not find such obsession very pleasing. They were actually nothing but annoyances. And annoyances sometimes developed into difficulties. If his past had taught him anything it had been that. 

There were only two things that would have been with him in his grave. The Tenseiga and the Toukijin. There was a small hope for his armor, but he doubted it was still suitable. And he had the suspicion that it may be difficult to find new. These mongrels had managed to scrap up a copy of his traveling kimono. He could tell it was new since the material still needed to be broken in. That and it reeked of human hands. Yet they had not brought a duplicate for his armor. So either they thought it would be here or they had no way of retrieving something like it. 

This really was not the time to think about clothing. He could already feel the swords awakening again, feeling his presence. Soon the Tenseiga would be reaching for him again, as it had done in a time long ago when his father had first presented it to him. 

He gave a curt nod to the inuyoukai and followed her to the lip of his grave. Familiar invisible tendrils of energy stretched out from the Tenseiga, pushing questioningly against him as if to make certain he was really there. And he let it go, not trying to push it away as he had done previously. It seemed satisfied that he was whole again and the energy soon went to soothe the jagged edges of the earlier rite. Sesshoumaru did not truly understand why this sword favored him so much, yet it had always done so, as if it were a mother watching after a wayward child. 

Looking down into the dark crevice in the earth he searched for where the swords were lain out. They were over to the sides; each wrapped in silk, as was the burial rite. Toukijin sat to the right, Tenseiga to the left. While the healing sword was impatiently seeking him out Toukijin sat quiet. It never was one for more than hatred. 

Without a single glance at the female beside him he leapt down into the old tomb, knowing no one else dare touch what was his. He gathered up the Tenseiga first, strapping it into place before reaching for the Toukijin. As he placed the sword back in its position above Tenseiga he thought he sensed the sword growling at him, as if impatient that he had waited so long. Not only in picking it up but also in returning to the living realm. He ignored the temperamental blade as usual, leaping right back out of his old grave. 

He landed with a girl's prone body at his feet. He gazed down at this body impassively, taking a moment to realize whom it had been. _That_ girl. The girl who had carried part of his soul. The part that had not gone back to the earth as it should have. 

The part he couldn't understand. 

Not really wishing to ponder the notion any longer tonight he simply hooked his foot under the dead girl's arm before dragging her back and pushing her over into the gaping hole behind. Her white hair spread out like shafts of moonlight over the dark soil below, a face that did look rather like his own staring upwards with its ghastly blank eyes. He glared at this face coldly for a moment, silently damning her for even believing she could come close to the great Sesshoumaru before turning his back and moving towards the odd carriages again. 

The other youkai still waited on the path; their captives still unconscious. The toriyoukai tilted his head to the side as the two inuyoukai returned as if to ask them both a question. 

"Yes," the female behind Sesshoumaru spoke up softly. "It would be best if we did so." Here she stepped forward a bit so Sesshoumaru could see her bow deeply, her long hair tumbling over her shoulders in an unruly mess. "Please forgive us, Sesshoumaru-sama, yet we must take up our modern forms now. I wish it were not so." 

Sesshoumaru didn't reply to that, his silence having to be her only answer. He had already deduced that they did not appear in these forms often. The talismans around their necks were enough to tell him of that little fact. What he didn't expect was that the transformation was so despicable. They lost their demon attributes to be _human_. Yet thankfully they did not take on much of the human odor, for which Sesshoumaru could be grudgingly thankful. 

The inuyoukai glanced at him with pathetic human blue eyes now and gestured to the curious green vehicle. "Please allow this humble Yayoi to escort Sesshoumaru-sama to his new place of residence." 

And eyebrow went up at that. Place of residence, hm? And where would _that_ be? Some human-invested dwelling? If that were so it would not be for long. Either that or they would not be around for very long. They only reason they were still alive now was that they had gone through this effort to reawaken his body. 

Yet he did not wish to spend the night out in this dreary grave area. His thoughts were far to cluttered, he needed time to meditate. And he did not think it would be wise to do so here. And so he accepted her offer silently, allowing her to lead him to the odd coach and open the door—which gave a loud snap that he didn't expect. His ears twitched reflexively and he cursed them silently. His basic youkai instincts were in the foreground now instead of the patiently worked on reflexes he had honed over his years. This was going to start to become very bothersome if he did not set to work fixing it immediately. 

It was not as easy to climb into the contraption as he'd thought it would be and he nearly hit his head on the top of the doorframe. He growled faintly, wanting very much to tear the offending piece off, but he restrained himself. Such senseless violence wouldn't serve any purpose now. So he resigned himself to sending it mental death threats as the inuyoukai bowed once he was inside and closed the door with a jarring bang. Sesshoumaru immediately hunkered down to fit more comfortably into the small dark space but he instantly scolded himself and his still base instincts and made himself sit up straight cautiously. 

The seating in the small compartment was dreadfully uncomfortably and it all smelled terrible. He wanted to wrinkle his nose in disgust but only folded his single hand in his lap and stared at the ceiling. He could see it clearly despite the darkness and the tinted windows on either side. He could see everything through them perfectly as well and didn't understand why they were like that. Was it to hide? 

Sesshoumaru felt his agitation grow. Hide? Why must he _hide_? That was too degrading for a taiyoukai such as he. He was about to move towards the door again and try to figure out how the latches worked when he heard a snap similar to the one that signaled the door opening, but it came from the vehicle in front. Shifting slightly he peered through the seats in the front through the larger window and saw the toriyoukai putting the humans into the red coach. After he had set them both down he closed the door with another reverberating slam and jerked his head in Sesshoumaru's direction. The taiyoukai turned his head away, not willing to look at where the girl that looked so much like his late ward was. He pushed those thoughts from his mind immediately. 

It wasn't long until there was a click near the front of the vehicle and the now human female inuyoukai slid into the seat. She glanced back at the demon behind her and bowed her head again. "I would recommend watching you ears, Sesshoumaru-sama." 

Watch his ears? What sort of ridiculous?

The answer came to him as soon as the woman shoved a slim object into the wheel that sat in the front and what now had to be some sort of beast in front of them roared to live. Sesshoumaru winced at the sound, hearing a great deal of grinding and clanking, hissing and sputtering all at once that rattled his sensitive ears. He felt them twitch again and he shook his head, trying to focus on something else. But they wouldn't listen to him and instead seemed content to ruin themselves with those odd sounds. 

He was certain this was going to be a long trip. 

*

Rinako woke to the sensation of moving. It was a smooth rolling motion with the occasional bump. Something whirled to her right while a faint wind whistled nearby. Rinako lay still in the gentle blackness about her, trying to remember what had happened. The images flooded back into her mind like a swelling river and her eyes flew open, dispelling the darkness.

Her eyes met the roof of a car. So that's what was moving her. She stared at the dark gray ceiling, trying to push back the memories of earlier. She needed to think clearly. Apparently the demons had listened to the new arrival—was he more powerful than them perhaps? —and she was still alive. 

But what of Azarni? Trying to move as subtly as possible she shifted her head to look around. She was on the backseat of what had to be the sedan, due to the smaller size. She glanced down and was relieved to find Azarni stretched out on the floor below her. She was lain over the partition between the two front seats, which was undoubtedly uncomfortable but at least she was alive. Or at least she appeared to be. Rinako squinted and was able to make out the steady fall and rise of her breathing. 

She felt herself sigh aloud with relief. Thank all gods above for that small favor. 

"Finally awake are you?" 

Rinako nearly leapt out of her skin when a familiar voice called to her from the front. She lifted her head and noticed the back of a dark-haired man's head. Her eyes lifted further to find green eyes peering at her in the rearview mirror. It seemed that Ryoichi was their driver. 

"What did you two think you were doin' followin' us anyway, sweetheart?" His voice was just as pleasant as before, as if he was only talking about the two having followed them to a party or something equally mundane. 

Rinako turned her eyes away from those in the mirror. "Whatwhat _was_ that?" She whispered her voice hoarse. "Whyyou-you _killed_ themwith that" 

Ryoichi didn't say anything for a long moment. Rinako hesitated before gingerly pulling herself into a sitting position, folding her legs underneath her to keep from stepping on Azarni. She stared at the man who sat kitty-corner to her. She could make out his profile in the moonlight, his dark eyes intent on the road. She was about to resign herself to the fact that he wasn't going to answer her when he laughed suddenly, a gruff bitter sound. 

"You saw all of it then?"

Rinako nodded then realized he couldn't see her and made a quiet squeak of a reply. 

Ryoichi shifted slightly in his seat and Rinako couldn't help picturing him covered with feathers again. She imagined his now plain hands gripping the steering wheel with three-inch claws. Buthe was normal now Had she imagined it all? Maybe both girls had fallen asleep while following Sachiko's friends on a useless chase and Rinako had dreamed it all. But then why would they be here in the red car? And with Ryoichi as their driver no less. He hadn't even denied what she'd stumbled over saying just a few minutes ago. He hadn't really said anything about it actually. Yet he hadn't seemed to think she was crazy. 

Rinako sat in silence, listening to the sound of the wind flowing past the car and Azarni's soft steady breathing. Ryoichi didn't speak again but she could feel his eyes on her in the mirror. With great reluctance she lifted her eyes to meet his. She was surprised by the compassion she saw there. 

"You want to know, don't you?"

"I think I do" 

Ryoichi sighed quietly, the noise sounding rather loud in the mostly empty car. That's when Rinako really noticed the absence of the other members of his group. Was he taking them somewhere away from the others? Was he going toget rid of them? 

_"Bring them to me. Alive."_

Those words echoed though her mind, spoken by a mysterious exotic voice she knew her imagination would never have been able to come up with. Even if she'd met every wealthy person in the entire world she would never have been able to think up someone so commanding and elegant. And no matter how many books or television shows she watched she would never have been able to even _begin_ to think of something like that oddcreature. 

Her heart started to thud heavily in her chest and she closed her fingers around her knees to drawn her attention away from those thoughts. Thinking of thatwhatever it was made a mixture of confusing emotions race through her. Shedidn't know _what_ the beast was but she knew_who_ it was. It was very strange. A little part of her kept calling out, trying to drawn her attention to this little bit of knowledge that she somehow knew, but she ignored it. She wanted nothing to do with thatthing! All of those people—or rather demons—had _died_ for itand Sachiko. Poor Sachiko... Rinako couldn't forget how she'd twisted like that, loosing some large part of herself that had killed her. 

Rinako felt her throat tighten with approaching tears for Azarni's sister. She barely managed to catch Ryoichi's voice when he finally spoke. "I suppose there's no reason not to explain it all to you. This'll be the only chance you get to know what the hell's going on around here. It'll help some, seeing that Sesshoumaru-sama seems to wanna keep you around for some reason." 

"Sesshou...maru?" She stumbled over the unfamiliar name, a frown appearing between her eyes. 

"Yeah. The taiyoukai of the old Western Lands. A big shot in his day. Lord over a great number of us demons, not to mention humans," his eyes shifted over to hers in the mirror again before continuing. "I'm sure after years with Sachiko you know what a demon is. And I bet you figured out what I—we are. You're a smart girl."

Rinako inadvertently shifted back farther into her set. "Why do you talk to me as if you know me? I've only met you once."

Ryoichi sighed again, eyes back on the road. "Let me start from the beginning, all right?'

"All right" 

"This is the very _very_ beginning here. Back about five hundred years ago, although it had started long before that, demons-—or youkai as the old world called us—were the major species on the earth. Well, actually, we weren't that much larger in number than the human population, but we were more powerful and kept the more erprolific humans down. They were afraid of us, you see, and we liked it that way.

"To tell the truth though, I wasn't around during that time. All this I learned from my great grandfather, the man who gave my family our demon blood." He reached forward to put on the turn signal and turned onto a smaller road. Rinako squinted to see out the windshield and saw red taillights ahead of them. From the height they were at the lights had to belong to the SUV. 

"So you're not a full demon? Are you a half-breed?"

Ryoichi made a noise that sounded like surprise. "That girl told you about those too?"

"Yeah. Azarnishe used to be the half-demon when weplayed together."

The man up front snorted. "Hmmthe great Sesshoumaru-samaas a little girl playing games. A bit amusing, if you think about it."

Well, Rinako couldn't find it very funny, since she knew nothing about thisSesshoumaru-sama. Actually, she did know one thing. That was what that beast was called. She knew it deep down inside before Ryoichi's words had even alerted her. 

The demon began again. "I'm very little demon actually. The only reason I could transform like I did was because of how powerful that little bit of blood actually is. My great grandfather was a descendant of a rather powerful toriyoukai. He was an actual full demon, which is very, very rare nowadays. They're all dead now, leaving their half and part descendants behind." He shook his head almost sadly. "A pity really. Some of them were noble creatures. Sure, they killed a bunch of people, but they were still noble. Upper class youkai had a great honor system" 

The young woman stared at him as he continued on. He was so wrapped up in his history; it was actually quite disturbing. "Ryoichi-san" she mumbled softly, ripping him away from his tangent. The young man seemed to be generally surprised to hear her say his name that he turned his head fully to look at her. But seeing her suddenly frightened expression he quickly turned around. 

"Sorry. I suppose I should keep my eyes on the road. We're getting to the mountains now."

"Mountains?" They were in the flatter land before, weren't they?

"You were out for about an hour or so. Both of you didn't take this very well"

_Big surprise there_ Rinako thought dryly. 

"I better get moving if I'm gonna get all this in," Ryoichi stated, giving Rinako another glance before starting off again. "There are different levels of youkai. My ancestor was just a high youkai, someone with power but no big holdings. But there were youkai who held whole expanses of land, which they guarded like a jealous wife does her husband—the best analogy I can come up with now. These were called Taiyoukai. And they were the most powerful, not only physically, but also with the hoards of followers and serfs they had.

"A youkai lived a good life by paying big to stay under a taiyoukai's good graces. That's how my family prospered. Either in goods, services, money, or even children for weddings. And to stay in the upper levels you followed one taiyoukai and one taiyoukai _only_. There were only four big positions, one for North, South, East, and West but of course any demon wanted to take over the spot of a taiyoukai. But you couldn't be wishy-washy and jump from one to the other, or you'd be dead shortly." 

Rinako could tell he was going off again. Ryoichi voice had started to rise in volume and grow less tense as he cheerfully lectured on what had to be a favorite topic for him. The politics of demonsRinako couldn't understand why he was so fascinated. It all gave her the creeps. 

"Ryoichi-sanwhat does this have to do with what's going on?"

The young man's stimulated voice fell to an abrupt halt. He gave her an almost sheepish look in the rearview mirror. "Terribly sorry. I'm getting off track, aren't I? Well, let me just say one thing. Taiyoukai kept order. And once Sesshoumaru of the West died his holdings fell to ruins. And, almost like a domino effect, the others ones started to fold as well until demons no longer had masters. And without masters there is no order. And that's how the humans overtook us. Just by our typical nature and the fact that they were more organized than we were." 

"But Ryoichi-san"

"I'm getting therewhat is your name anyway?" 

She hesitated. "Rinako"

A hand suddenly appeared over the seat. "I know this is more Western, but pleased to meet you, Rinako-san." 

Rinako shook his hand quickly, allowing it to go back on the wheel. She barley touched his palm with her fingertips, almost afraid that claws would shoot out and grab her. Which was ridiculousright? 

"Well, you see, youkai went into hiding. They ended up burying their blood under that of humans. Few even believe the tales told about them, although the one telling it may be of youkai blood themselves. And so the world pretty much forgot about us." He paused then and remained silent for a few minutes before going on. "Forgot expect for by a few. My family for instance, and Yayoi-san's—"

"Yayoi-san?" 

Ryoichi gave her a questioning glance in the mirror before laughing humorlessly. "Ahyes. We weren't all introduced were we? Bit of an inopportune time, if I may say so." 

Rinako didn't laugh. She only looked down at her friend, who still lay unconscious on the floor of the car. 

Not seeming to note her silence Ryoichi started off again. "Yayoi-san is that lady I bet you saw, the redhead? She's of the black dogs, you know." At Rinako's blank look he shrugged sheepishly, eyes back on the road again. "Orwell you wouldn't know, would you? Anyway, she, as an inuyoukai—dog demon of course—she naturally heard stories of other inuyoukai. Such as that of the white inutaiyoukai Sesshoumaru. History—or rumors, whichever strikes your fancy—says that he wasn't really dead." 

These words seemed to draw Rinako's attention like a magnet. She found herself leaning forward. "What do you mean by that?"

Ryoichi glanced at her out of the corner of his eye before turning on the blinker and following the shadowed vehicle in front of them. "Well, you see, not only in physical aspects are humans and youkai different. They also differ spiritually. Humans are more ethereal beings, having their gods and dreaming of the sky. Youkai by contrast are of the earth. Their souls—or rather spirits—come from the earth and when they pass on the spirit goes back into the earth and mixes with the spiritual power there. That's what keeps the earth replenished, in a way. A sort of cycle, you know.

"Along with this a typical youkai soul can only belong to one body. We'll exclude those that possess others" Rinako blanched at this. "And if the body is brought back to life within a certain amount of time the soul will find the body again. It's a simple fact. That's why when demon exterminators went after a big demon they'd usually cut it up before they buried it, so it couldn't easily be put back together again."

"Demon exterminators?"

"Yeah, that used to be a big business, even back five hundred years ago. Humans chased after youkai using old youkai bones for weapons." 

"You said that after a certain amount of time" Rinako began hesitantly before lapsing into silence.

Ryoichi seemed to know what she was getting at. "It's usually only a hundred or so years, not five hundred. So that's not what I was talking about." The young man took one hand off the wheel and used it to start tapping an insensibly rhythm on the seat. "Sesshoumaru-sama was said to be different. For some reason when he died, rumor says that all of his spirit didn't return. My great grandfather only tentatively agrees with this, but it's enough." 

"Whatwhat happened to him then?"

"Wellno one knew for sure. So they just let it fade with history. But, somehow, Yayoi-san got her hands on this legend and took interest in it. She and I ended up meeting together some time ago and she told me about it. And how she was determined to find him."

Rinako was leaning against the back of the passenger seat now, intent on the story .It hooked her attention as if she were a fish and pulled her along. This is what she'd been waiting for him to get to. "But why'd she think she _could _find him? He was mostly dead, right?" 

"Yeah. But she was set on it. I just sort of shrugged it off as a big fantasy of hers until the day we ran into Sachiko."

"Sachiko?"

Ryoichi nodded, eyes intent on the road, fingers still beating out a rhythm on the seat. "Yeah. Sachiko. As soon as I laid eyes on her, I could feel it."

"Feel what?"

"That she was him."

Rinako's heart stopped. Her jaw slid open as if it was suddenly unhinged and her eyes were big as full moons. Thatthat _couldn't_ be. SachikoSachiko couldn't it

Her world seemed to fall down about her ankles as cold unreality came and gave her a swift kick in the face. Or perhaps it was reality that treated her so cruelly. 

That beast _couldn't _be Sachiko It made no sense whatsoever!

Or perhaps it did. All those stories of youkai, the white hair, the _attitude_. That was Sachikobut was it that white-haired demontaiyoukai as well? 

"You've _got_ to be kidding me," the young woman blurted out before her mind fully understood what she was saying. 

Ryoichi shook his head slowly. "Nope. Sorry honey, but I'm not. There was no mistaking it. Yayoi felt it too. And all those lower class youkai you sawwell, they were drawn to her too. The weaker are usually drawn to the stronger youki by instinct. And most of their demon blood was so weak they didn't understand what it was. But Yayoi and I did.

"We watched her—and thus you two as well, which is how I know you so well—for a long time. And then Yayoi ended up telling her what we thought. And, to our amazement, she readily believed us, seeing that she was beginning to have strange memories. She told us about the dreams she had featuring a hanyou half brother, two swords, a strange pink jewel held by a human woman and a little girl with large brown eyes. And the fact that she recognized us was a dead giveaway. And with this Yayoi developed a plan." 

The young man glanced back at Rinako, a look of deep compassion on his face. "I didn't know what it completely entailed, but I knew it involved sacrifices. Personally I just believed Yayoi was trying to revive his body to awaken the remaining spirit, and that Sachiko would get it. But, apparently, I was wrong and he took it all back." 

"Butbut _how_ could hehe be Sachiko? Sachiko was humanright?"

The young man nodded, lips pressing into a firm line. "Yeah. She was human all right. That's what we couldn't get either. Demons can_not_ be reincarnated. It's impossible. Definitely into a human. They're as different as light and day! Butit happened, didn't it? I can't understand it"

_If _you_ can't understand it, certainly _I_ won't be able to._ Rinako thought miserably, falling back away from the seat to slump against the backseat behind her, huddling down. Her brain was a whirl, jumping around like a child over rocks in a stream. 

"The only person who'll know the answer," Ryoichi was stating in a very soft voice, "is Sesshoumaru-sama himself. But I doubt he'll answer anyone." He paused for a long drawn out minute before glancing at Rinako again in the mirror. Rinako caught his green eyes unintentionally and the two stared at one another. "Unless"

Rinako shuddered, not liking his thoughtful tone. "Unlesswhat?"

"Unless you can get it out of him."

"_Me_?" she asked incredulously. 

Ryoichi nodded slowly, seeming to muse it over. "Yesyou may have a chance."

"Me?" Rinako squeaked again, her mind not centered enough to make an intelligent reply. 

"Hey, he saved you for some reason or another"

"You were really going to kill me?"

Ryoichi looked a bit sheepish. "Well, I really didn't have any choice. Either I did it or he did. And let's just say I'd be much more But luckily"

"Luckily what?"

Green eyes peered at her again in the reflection of the glass, seeming to be looking for something. "He seemed to remember you from somewhere And apparently he likes you." 

Rinako didn't know if that was a good or bad thing 

-

**A/N:** Another one done! This one is kinda boring, but it's the "explaining" chapter, so you've have to deal with it. :-P I must say, it _was_ fun to write all this through Ryoichi's character though. (And no, he's not a reincarnation. It's a bit obvious who is, though, isn't it? ^__^) 

Anyway, yeah, some things here are not real canon _IY_ stuffs. Like the swords having such outspoken personalities. I like doing it this way. I wrote them like that in my other (long-ish) _Inu_ story. And besides, the Tenseiga has a big part in this. And I just think they're interesting

Also, the whole thing about the demon souls thing...I made that up. Yep, go me It's something that came to me a while ago, and I put it here. Hopeful it's original. And I'd like to _keep_ it that way, thank you. But, knowing me, someone else came up with that for _Inu Yasha_ (hehit would figure) But who knows, I might end up twisting it for an original someday (I'm very good at thatmost of my originals came from dropped fanfiction plots). But, then I'll find some fantasy author with the same thing. ::sigh:: But it's nothing to get worked up about now. (Gah! Rambling! Sorry!) 

I tried to explain a great deal of what's going on here. But of course I didn't get everything. There are still bits and pieces floating around to still be told. But, knowing my luck, I'll probably forget something throughout the plotbut oh well. If anything doesn't click for you here feel free to ask, and if it's just a mess up by me, I'll explain it (this isn't too complicated, but heyyou never know.) 

And there I go rambling again. ::kicks self::: Bad self 

I'll leave you to your lives now (which _I _don't have, but I can't begrudge you people that ^__^) 

::goes to try to play violin:: Ah, heck.. ::puts on violin CD:: Ah. It's too late to play anyway Neighbors might kill me. O_o. 


	4. Name

**Memory of a Soul **  
By: Ailian Rhys

**Disclaimer:** See previous. 

Chapter Four: Name

The sky was just beginning to become a dull pale gray, casting everything in a very cold somber light when they finally reached their destination. Rinako peered out of the window and her eyes grew steadily wider as the walls came into view. They were of pale stone and rose high above even the top of the murky SUV. There was a gate in front of them but it was already open with two human men standing on either side. Rinako stared at them strangely as Ryoichi past them. They gave her similar looks in return. 

The red sedan pulled up behind the green SUV directly in front of what had to be the main building. Rinako could only stare in all out awe. It wasan ancient palace. Shoji walls, fusuma doors, long verandas and all that. The building was at least two stories tall and had an impeccable beige exterior with dark oak trim. Stretching from it like arms were two other one-story wings that flanked the wide-open courtyard they were in. Rinako peered at the building and saw two other wings reaching back from it in the direction. The place was huge. 

_This_ is where they were going? 

Rinako could only shake her head in wonder. This was all too far out of her league. She'd expected to be dead now, not in the courtyard of an ancient palace. But that didn't mean that they would stay there. 

There was a shift of fabric and a soft moan from the floor and Rinako's eyes instantly snapped away from the window to her friend who was just starting to awaken. 

"Azarni" she whispered softly. She heard Ryoichi shift in the front, turning to look at the two. Rinako leaned over to touch her friend's cheek. "Hey, Azarni. You awake?" 

Azarni's dark brown eyes fluttered opened slowly, long lashes brushing against her cheek. She blinked at Rinako a few times. "Rinako?"

The young woman nodded, smiling slightly. "Yeah. It's me. Think you can sit up?" 

Somewhere nearby a car door opened and closed. "Yayoi's getting out now" Ryoichi remarked from the front. "I think you've better get your friend moving, Rinako." 

Azarni gave a small gasp, eyes impossibly wide as she stared up at Ryoichi. "Y-You!" she stuttered, mouth moving frantically before any sound came out. She squirmed around, trying to find a way to pull herself up. Rinako reached out a hand to stop her. 

"Azarni! Azarni, calm down! Please! Loosing your head won't help us any."

The girl's eyes were huge. "Calm down? Thatthat _thing_ helped to kill my _sister_!" 

Rinako saw Ryoichi flinch out of the corner of her eye. She turned her attention on her friend. Her voice was a hushed whisper when she spoke. "Azarni, I _know_ what happened, I was there. And it was awful. But, we can't think about that now, not if we want to survive. We have to be quiet. Be obedient. I'm certain that's the only way they'll spare us. Getting hysterical will only ruin it all." 

"This'll be a good time for that" Ryoichi mumbled before opening his door. Rinako took hold of Azarni's hand before lifting her head to watch what was going on. Yayoi was outside the car, next to the open back door of the SUV. More of the apparently human servants were clustered about. The redhead was bowing to whoever was in the backseat, her kimono sleeves nearly touching the ground. Ryoichi sat with his legs outside the car watching what was going on but still standing guard over the two in the back. 

Rinako watched as Yayoi abruptly step back and a white form ducked out. She knew who that was right away and her fingers instinctively tightened around Azarni's hand. The woman winced, struggling to sit up. "What is it Rinako?" she whispered frightened. 

Rinako didn't answer and just continued to stare at the youkai in white as he towered above all those in the courtyard. Yayoi was speaking again bowing and scrapping while the servants only watched with wide eyes and open mouths. 

Azarni finally managed to sit up and look out the window. She gasped. Rinako jumped at the sound but was instantly frozen when gold eyes leapt over to them. They settled on Rinako heavily as if they were a real physical force before moving away. Rinako shivered her nails inadvertently burrowing into Azarni's palm. Yet the other woman didn't seem to notice at all. She was too busy staring at the demon before them. 

"Thatthat's _Sachiko_" Azarni mumbled, her words hollow. 

Rinako glanced down at her friend. "_No_. No, Azarni. That's not Sachiko"

Azarni just continued to stare at the taiyoukai with tears starting to form in her eyes. "Oh Sachiko" she whispered. "I didn't hate youI swear it!" The tears spilled over as the small group by the car turned away and started up towards the main building. The youkai stood out amongst them all, long white hair shimmering even in the faint dawn light. 

Rinako turned her eyes away from the retreating figures and reached down to embrace her friend tightly. Azarni buried her face into her friend's shoulder. "Why did I have to be right?" she moaned, her voice muffled. "Why couldn't you be normal, Sachiko!" 

Despite the odd positions they were sitting in Rinako tried to comfort her friend by rocking her back and forth. She tucked the young woman's head under her chin and lifted blurry eyes to look for Ryoichi. He still sat in the doorway with his stiff back to them. 

"Ryoichi-san" 

He didn't look back at them. "Yes?"

Rinako swallowed the lump that was forming in her throat. "What do we do now?" 

"That's up to Sesshoumaru-sama to decide. I told you that before."

"I know thatbut he left"

"He'll be back, don't worry."

Rinako squeezed her eyes shut and inadvertently bit her lip as she wrapped her arms more firmly about her friend. The woman continued to cry and mumble to herself. No one spoke for a long moment until Ryoichi suddenly spoke up. 

"He can hear her, you know."

Rinako cracked an eye open to see the young man still sitting erect in the doorway. "What?"

"Sesshoumaru-sama. He can hear her crying. So I would suggesting having her quiet down a bit before he gets annoyed." Ryoichi turned around and Rinako saw tears similar to theirs shining in his green eyes. He seemed to be trying to ignore them. "You don't want an annoyed taiyoukai." 

Rinako shuddered slightly. That was true. Those dead gold eyes were enough proof for her. She swallowed before making the effort to stop her friend's crying. "Shhhquiet now Azarni." She made smoothing motions over the canvas of her jacket. "Shhh" Rinako found herself at a loss for words. What _could_ she say? It wasn't okay. There was nothing for her to look forward too. Sachiko wouldn't come backnothing. Rinako searched her brain, trying to find something of comfort. "We're still together, aren't we? We're still alive. Think of that, Azarni-chan." 

Azarni sniffled from her position on Rinako's shoulder. She turned her head so that she could look up at the other woman. "You always try so hard, Rinako-chan"

Rinako gave her a wavering smile. "Yeah, I know."

"Thanks." Azarni slipped from Rinako's grasp and wiped at her eyes. She pushed her long hair back over her shoulder. "I must look a sight"

The dark-haired woman only shook her head. "Azarni"

"Quiet back there" Ryoichi hissed suddenly already back to his watch position. "Yayoi's coming"

Rinako turned to look out the window as Azarni slid up onto the seat next to her. Sure enough the redheaded woman was approaching followed by a small cluster of what had to be servants of some sort. She stopped in front of Ryoichi who remained seated. Her blue eyes drifted over to the girls in the backseat, who stared back at her, before settling on the man again. 

"Ryoichi."

"Congratulations, Yayoi," Ryoichi remarked softly, his voice dull. 

Yayoi gave him a dark look her comely face surprisingly good at scowling. "_Later_, Ryoichi. Get the humans inside and settled near the servant quarters. Plenty of eyes there." 

"Hai. Then we'll talk later." His tone suggested this wasn't a question. 

"Sure. Whatever you want." 

Yayoi stepped back and allowed Ryoichi to stand up. He turned around and opened the door nearest Rinako and bent down to her level. Rinako couldn't help but to back up slightly at the proximity. "Come on girls," he said giving them a good attempt at his sunny smile. "It's time t' go." 

Both of them crawled out of the backseat and stood on wobbly legs. Azarni rested a hand against Rinako's arm. Yayoi glanced over them both briefly before giving Rinako a nasty look, baring her teeth slightly. Rinako flinched moving to take a step back but she ran into Azarni. 

_What's _her_ problem?_ Rinako wondered silently, doing her best not to glare back at the other woman. Getting her captors angry wouldn't be very good for her.

"Come, come, this way," Ryoichi interrupted smoothly, sliding between the redhead and Rinako and taking hold of her arm. "Follow me, I know the perfect room." 

Reaching out for Azarni's arm with his other hand Ryoichi nearly dragged them away from the car and towards the main building. It was all that Rinako could do to keep up with his fast pace. Just when she reached the point of almost stumbling he slowed down. By now they were between the group by the car and the front steps. 

"We have to go up the stairs to the veranda" Ryoichi stated softly, his voice holding a tone of warning. Rinako didn't really understand what there was to worry about until she looked up.

The taiyoukai stood at the top of the stairs watching them. Clustered around him almost like weeds were more humans dressed in ancient kimonos but they were keeping a respectful distance back. 

Rinako wanted to run. She wanted to just turn tail and shoot for the gates although she knew she'd never make it. Anything was better than having to go past him. But Ryoichi's grip was strong and Rinako knew she could never leave Azarni behind. All she could do was follow Ryoichi and hope the demon decided to go inside before she got there. 

That didn't seem to be happening anytime soon. The youkai simply stood like a silent statue watching her with icy eyes. Rinako couldn't help but look at him in turn. What made him a taiyoukai anyway? He looked human enough, except for the marking on his face and the abnormal hair color. And what was that strange fur thrown over his one shoulder? But as she got closer she noticed a few more things. Such as the claws that could be seen under the hem of his right sleeve, looking natural enough to be just fingernails. Not like Ryoichi's or Yayoi's, which had seemed almost awkward. He also had pointed ears that twitched slightly as she stared at them. What frightened her more than anything else did, however, was his face. No human could remain _that_ still, that completely expressionless. Even a dead man had more feeling behind his expression than this thing did. 

If she stopped moving and just stared Rinako believed that she could almost think of him as a drawing on paper. No matter how close they got to him, no matter how many times either of the girls took a misstep on the gravel that resulted in a loud ugly crunch, he didn't move. The demon just continued to stare down at her with a hazy indifference that closed his eyes over completely. And Rinako found that truly terrifying. Was he even _alive_? 

They reached the steps then and Ryoichi started to pull them up after him. Rinako drew back at first realizing something. She was on the side that had to go right next to the youkai. She took a hasty glance over her shoulder to see just how far the gate actually was before Ryoichi gave her slight tug. Swallowing harshly she finally relented, resigning herself to her fate. 

_Just go, Rinako. Maybe it'll stay like that and not move _

The trip up the stairs seemed way too short for their actually size. For every step Rinako took she could have sworn three stairs leapt under her feet. Sooner than she anticipated she found herself a few feet from the taiyoukai. And there was no doubt that he was alive now. Although not a demon herself she could feel the haze of power that radiated off of him like heat. Two swords hung at his side she noticed, and her eyes inadvertently dragged to the one that sat underneath the other. It seemedfamiliar? That weapon felt to be reaching out for her but that was impossible! It was a weapon! And probably a deadly one for all she knew. 

Rinako forced her eyes away from the sword. She had to be going nuts. She focussed on the wooden steps under her feet but they didn't stay there for long. Almost as if on their own her eyes lifted again to fix on the demon watching them silently. How in the world could he be that tall? He towered over all three of them, making it easy for him to always appear to be looking down at them all. 

Ryoichi pulled her up the remaining steps and they were now on the landing. Rinako lowered her eyes hoping to pass by easily. She could see the white silk of his garments out of the corner of her eye and her mind froze.

_MONSTER!_ Her instincts screamed. Yet a small, weak voice in her head murmured something about not being afraid. Rinako grasped for this voice hoping it would keep her calm. It seemed to be working and her mind started functioning again. They were almost past

"Stop." 

Everyone stopped and the twittering servants fell into silence. 

There was no mistaking where that cold smooth voice came from. Rinako felt the hair on the back of her neck rise. Ryoichi stopped short his grip closing tightly around Rinako's wrist. He turned his head slowly to the demon behind them. 

"Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama?" 

Rinako caught Azarni's eyes and saw them shining with fear. She swallowed; her throat was suddenly painfully dry. There was a rustle behind them and soft footsteps. It was almost as if he was moving slowly for their benefit. The footsteps stopped and she felt him standing behind her. Ryoichi relaxed his grip on her arm as she tensed. What had she done now? 

"Turn around." 

Taking in a shaky breath she did as he said. Ryoichi relinquished his hold on her and she slowly turned. Trying to appear as humble as possible she stared down at his richly embroidered shoes. They were actually quite beautiful, she noticed, quite an odd thing for footwear 

"Look at me." 

Rinako bit her lip. That had been the last thing she'd wanted him to saw. Squaring her shoulders she steadied herself before forcing her head up all at once, getting it over with as soon as possible. Her eyes met gold once and she almost lowered them again. 

He appeared to be studying her, his gaze scanning her quietly. She tried her best not to squirm her hands unconsciously tightening into fists. She heard Ryoichi shift uncomfortably behind her and Azarni's labored breathing. 

When his gaze once again rested on her face there was a momentary pause before his hand shot out from the sleeve of his robe and took her chin. Just the very tips of those dagger-like claws rested against her skin as if he didn't really wish to be touching her. Rinako tried to take a step backwards but found Ryoichi's hands suddenly on her back holding her in place. Her heart was pounding. It made so much noise she was sure the whole world could hear.

The taiyoukai tilted her face up slightly being surprisingly gentle with what had to be weapons. He turned her face to one side, then the other, seeming to be interested in something about her. Rinako didn't know what it could be. She held her breath, waiting. 

That cold stare seemed to be taking in every part of her face. It made her skin start to tingle. Rinako couldn't help feeling as if she was some sort of animal on display. Yet just as suddenly as he had taken a hold of her she found him bent down to her level his long white hair spilling over in front of her face as he came close to her neck. She heard what she thought was a sniff. A gentle breath of warm air touched her skin and she stiffened. 

_Is he gonna _eat_ me or something? _

But apparently he didn't like what he found there. The claws disappeared from her skin roughly, leaving small stinging scratches behind but he didn't break the skin. She didn't even see him move but there he was, standing up straight again. His face was as smooth as always but for the first time she saw something in her eyes, a touch of irritation that made her nervous. 

"You are called Rin."

Rinako couldn't really tell if that was a question or not from his tone but he did seem to be waiting for something from her so she decided it was. The problem washer mind wouldn't work well enough to form a response. All it would focus on was that he knew her nameor at least part of it. Had they told him on the way? Or perhaps it was from Sachiko? But wouldn't Sachiko remember Azarni first since she was her sister? Andwhy did he even _care_ what her name was? But there was one thought that kept overriding the others. A panic-stricken voice whispered it to her over and over again in her brain. 

A monster knew _her name_. 

Rinako stared at the taiyoukai dumbly. She felt Ryoichi poke her in the back but she didn't respond. The youkai in front of her studied her as the silence wore on until he seemed to become even more annoyed. His eyes narrowed slightly and darkened. 

"I ask nothing twice, girl." 

The young woman swallowed trying to get rid of the dryness in the back of her throat. _Come on, Rinako_, she told herself. _Don't piss him off._ She just hoped her answer wouldn't get him angry. She thought about just leaving it as it was but no one called her Rin anymore. That had been her mother. She'd only seen the woman a few hours after work most of the time but she still couldn't let anyone else call her by her mother's special nickname. Especially not some mythical demon who Sachiko died for

"Err" she began, almost kicking herself for her brilliant entrance. "INo one calls me Rin" she fumbled, "my lord," She took a deep breath as those golden eyes narrowed even more. "I go by Rinako." 

"Rinako," he repeated coldly. 

"Y—yesmy lord." 

He stared at her silently with his eyes still narrowed. Rinako felt her heart leap up into her throat. He didn't seem happy. What was he going to do? 

Thankfully nothing. He only made a brief dismissive gesture towards Ryoichi who snagged Rinako's arm again and asked her quietly to follow him. The young woman tried the best she could, finding her legs to have turned to jelly sometime during the confrontation. She felt Azarni's eyes on her as she stumbled along but she couldn't bring herself to look at her. Her thoughts ran like playing children in her head, each screaming to be heard above the others. She still felt the surprise and fear from him having known her name but now there was something else that wiggled its way into her mind. 

She'd seen something else in the demon's eyes before he'd dismissed them, something more than the irritation. She couldn't quite describe what it was but it seemed almostsad. Maybe even wistfulShe felt a pang in her heart. So did that mean that creature could actually _feel_ something? Or was she just imagining things for her own piece of mind, trying to make the taiyoukai seem more human? 

Rinako bit her bottom lip and peered over her shoulder. She found that he was watching her retreat down the hall, his gaze sharp. When their gazes met he stared at her for a moment before turning to descend the stairs the cluster of humans fluttering after him. A few of their eyes drifted in her direction but no one said anything to her. 

Rinako sighed, turning to face forward again. 

*

"And this, ladies, is your room," Ryoichi stated giving them one of his gallant smiles. He pulled the plain fusuma door aside and swept his hand into the room before bowing slightly. "After you." 

Rinako allowed Azarni to go first, wanting to see her friend safely into the room before she slid off her shoes and stepped inside. As soon as they were in Ryoichi snapped the door shut behind them and placed himself in front of it in a seemingly casual manner, but Rinako knew better. 

Trying to ignore the thought that they were prisoners here Rinako took in the surroundings as if this was a fancy hotel she was staying in. It was a traditional room. There were no beds. A tall cupboard stood to the side in which she knew the bedding had to be. There was a low table under a high window that had a paper screen over it, which was painted with a bland brown trim around it. There were no chairs and the dressing stand was on the ground, the mirror shinning dully in the pale light from the window. There was one plant in the corner that looked a bit wilted and some storage cupboards. One tapestry hung on the wall over an empty space where the futons were to go. It was an inking of a landscape as seen from atop a hill. 

To Rinako's surprise, however, there was a pile of suitcases and bags thrown in the far corner. She stared at this mess in surprise wondering where they had come from. Was this someone else's room as well? 

Azarni was walking in a slow circle around the room taking in everything from the authentic shoji walls to the shining wood floor. She came to a stop in front of the pile of luggage and, after staring at it for a while, bent down and shifted one of the smaller bags aside to reveal a big suitcase. She gasped. 

"Rinako! These are Sachiko's!" 

The young woman hurried to her friend's side, her heart pounding. She stooped down beside Azarni and followed her friend's hand, which was pointing out a name etched into the identity tag on the suitcase. Yamashita Sachiko. There it was, in neat precise script Rinako had seen the older girl use on occasion. 

Rinako felt her heart clench suddenly and she sunk down beside Azarni. The image of Sachiko convulsing and falling replayed before her mind's eye before the young woman could stop it and she shuddered. 

"Well," Ryoichi's voice stated suddenly. Rinako turned slowly to look at him and saw that he was staring at the bedding cabinet. "Perhaps you will be able to use her belongings then. They _were_ in the master rooms but apparently Yayoi had them moved."

Ryoichi continued to stare at the cabinet as he started to recite, as if it was a planned speech, "You are to remain in these rooms unless called for or otherwise instructed. You are near to the servant quarters and there will be constant traffic outside your door. Someone will look in on you and will see to your needs. I do not have the authority to say if you are either guest or prisoner here," he added, looking at them both finally. "Yet if there is no aggression on your part I suppose there shall be none on our part until Sesshoumaru-sama tells us so" he hesitated slightly, before shrugging effortlessly. "There you have it. Nothing much else to say until I talk to Yayoi. I'll send some food over and you two better get to sleep." His green eyes scanned over them, his nose wrinkling. "Or, perhaps you should get cleaned up first. You're a mess." 

Rinako blinked, confused, before taking a quick look down at herself. She felt her nose wrinkle in turn. In all the fear and the information Ryoichi had given her she hadn't realized what they were both covered in. Both were covered in dirt and—she shuddered at this—their jackets were smeared with whatever they'd thrown up earlier. Now that she was conscious of the fact Rinako noticed how much they were starting to smell as well. 

She forced herself to stand on trembling legs. Azarni stayed seated next to her, looking very much like a dispirited doll as she sat there staring at the floor. "YeahI think we could do that." 

Ryoichi nodded once before turning on his heel and closing the door behind him quietly. Rinako stared at the door long after he'd gone, trying to come to grips with the situation. Okay, so now they were trapped in this room. That she got easily enough. But the whole thing he'd said on aggressionthat was something she'd rather not dwell on

"I want to open them."

Rinako spun around to face Azarni who still stared at the floor. "What?"

The other woman slowly lifted her head a spark of determination coming alive in her eyes. "Yes. I want to open Sachiko's things. Maybe there's a clue in there somewhere as to what's going on." 

"I have an idea of what's going on," Rinako began slowly remembering that Azarni had not been awake in the car. "Ryoichi told me some things while we were coming up here. You were still out," she finished a bit sheepishly.

Azarni stared at her for a minute, her expression blank, before she nodded. A look of resolve crossed her face. "Right then. You tell me what you know while I go through Sachiko's things." 

Taken aback by her friend's newfound courage Rinako could only nod in agreement before rattling off what Ryoichi had told her. She tried to shorten it a bit without skimping on any of the details but found it rather difficult. As she spoke Azarni opened the big suitcase and looked through it, finding only a bunch of newly purchased kimonos still wrapped in their bags. She laid these out on the floor before starting on the smaller bags. 

"Taiyoukai's were pretty much the big-shots," Rinako was saying, trying to remember all of what Ryoichi had babbled about. "Maybe even a very loose sort of government? I don't know. But Ryoichi said they were powerful though. Physically as well as socially."

"That's the kind of demon Sachiko always said she was," Azarni murmured quietly as she shuffled through what appeared to be a cosmetics bag. 

Rinako was taken aback by this. "Did she? Idon't remember that"

Azarni shook her head. "No, you wouldn't. She never got into those details when you were playing. She did sometimes when it was just the two of us, though." 

Rinako swallowed the lump that was forming in her throat. She would have to tell Azarni soon 

"Wellthat creature out there is one of those demons. Ryoichi said he was once the Lord of the Western Lands. Said that's how the Taiyoukai seperated their lands, by regions. The one we've got here is supposed to be a very great one called Sesshoumaru."

"Strange name" Azarni muttered pulling another sack towards her. This one appeared to have been patched up in many places and the white fabric was turning somewhat gray. She held the pack up with one hand. "Why does she have this old thing? We could have gotten her a new bag"

"Maybe it's something special" 

Azarni had a hard time opening the old latch, which was bent and seemed to have been jammed into the bracket. It took some wiggling and pushing but soon it came free with a sharp click. Rinako watched her work silently not wanting to get to the morewell devastating part of the conversation. She didn't want to tell Azarni that creature outside was Sachiko. No. She couldn't

"Look at all this!" Azarni cried digging her hands into the worn bag. Rinako moved a bit closer to watch her friend pull out small trinkets and scraps of paper. The trinkets were all small things like plastic toys from vending machines, old ticket stubs, and even broken pieces of children's toys. Azarni set these aside gently before taking up one of the sheets of paper and smoothing it over her knee. It looked to be the beginning of one of Sachiko's many feudal fairytale stories. The handwriting was spidery and unorganized as if she'd been writing in the dark for a long time. This page looked particularly childish with a few margin doodles and many cross outs. 

Rinako bent over to take a closer look at the paper and a certain drawing caught her eye. It seemed to be of a little girl with large eyes and hair pulled up sloppily to one side. Although only a childish sketch Rinako could still see the delight on the girl's face as she beamed out from the paper. The young woman stared at this little figure for a long time, completely taken aback. The girl looked very similar to Rinako when she was a little girl. The smile looked so much like her own Had Sachiko been drawing her? 

Azarni didn't seem to notice this little picture and laid the paper aside to sit with the other ones. The young woman shoved her hand into the white satchel again, digging around inside. Her movements stopped and her eyes grew wide. She glanced over at Rinako with her mouth open in a silent O'. "Oh godI think I found her diary." 

Forgetting the little girl instantly Rinako leaned over. After some struggle with the old fabric Azarni drew out a small black book. There wasn't a lock or even a snap on it, just a plain old book. 

"A diary? Are you sure that this isn't an old writing notebook? For stories and all that?"

Azarni shook her head. "No. I remember picking this up once and having Sachiko yell at me for it. That was the first time she got really mad at me," she added her voice becoming sad. "I didn't know why she got so pissed though. At the time I didn't think she had much of a social life to hide from me anyway, so there couldn't be much in here." 

She turned the little book over and over in her hands as if trying to decide something. "She made me promise never to read it" she turned her eyes towards Rinako. Her voice was hesitant when she spoke. "But you can. Maybe it'll say something about all these weirdoes." 

Rinako stared at the journal as if entranced. Yes, it may be able to answer many of their questions. It could tell them if Sachiko had known what was going to happen the last night and if she'd meant to have it happen. It may be able to explain exactly how that creature could be Sachiko. If even the human girl knew Rinako had the feeling this all went much deeper than it appeared to at first. It was only a gut instinct but she had a suspicion that it was right. 

But should she read it? It _was_ Sachiko's after all, a private journal she'd already banned others from reading. It would be a great dishonor to the dead to go through her personal things, wouldn't it? But then againmaybe Sachiko would want them to know 

Rinako sat in hesitation for a moment before tentatively reaching forward to take the small book gently. Azarni watched her with disquieted eyes as Rinako put the small book on her knee and her fingers slid under the front cover. She paused a moment before flipping the cover over with a jerk of her wrist. Rinako took a breath before looking down. 

The handwriting looked like that of a younger girl, neat on occasion but often times slipping out of place. There were many cross outs and a few more sketches in the margins. Rinako skimmed through the pages once, seeing just how many were written on. The writing seemed to improve until it was the precise characters like those on the suitcase. Yet, strangely, from then on it seemed to change again. The strokes were bolder and lined up in perfectly straight rows although the paper was not lined. Some of the kanji that caught her eyes seemed very old-fashioned, many of them having more shapes and lines compared to their modern counterparts. It almost looked as if Sachiko had been trying to mimic a _man_'s writing. An ancient man's handwriting

Rinako felt her stomach clench uncomfortably as she continued through the later pages, watching as the drawings completely disappeared and instead side-notes sprung up in their places. Sometimes the script was Sachiko's normal writing and sometimes it was the strange old calligraphy that was really starting to creep Rinako out. There was even one section where Sachiko had written in both, comparing them side by side. And side by side they did look rather alike. Some of the curls came out the same way and lines shared the same thickness. It was unreal. 

Rinako felt sick. She wanted to burn this book right then and there but forced herself to keep looking through the pages. She didn't even know if she could bring herself to read it at all. 

Azarni stared at her the whole time and Rinako felt her friend getting anxious as the silence drew on. But Rinako couldn't find anything to say and only continued through, hoping for an end. 

There were only a few pages left to the book when the writing stopped. The last entry was rather short compared to the others and written in Sachiko's normal handwriting. Rinako forced herself to read it. 

All of the color drained from her face. Etched onto the clean white sheet were the words:

_Yayoi finally arranged it. Tonight is the ceremony. Now I will finally meet with that spirit that has haunted me for all these years. I'm positive that my visions tell the truth and that the creature that will come out of the grave will be none other than the ancient Sesshoumaru of the Western Lands. My true self._

_Maybe upon our meeting the dreams will stop and I can put that life to rest. Yayoi thinks so._

_That's all I ask for. For him to leave me alone._

_Rest peacefully, Taiyoukai.' _

---

And there's chapter four for your reading pleasure. Not much to say about this, except I think my slow plot may have taken another step uphill 

My brain is itching to write the next part (right now anyway) so it may come out sooner than this one did... (Hopefully. Jeez, I am such a slacker) Sorry for the wait, by the way. 

Oh, and I think I'll plug my own stuff The only reason I'm doing this is because I spent so long writing the damn thing and now it's buried in the Inu-Yasha fandom (like everyone else's stuff) It's a child Rin and Sess relationship story: _A Family of Rin's Own_. It shows the father/daughter relationship they kind of share I need some feedback on my Sesshoumaru in that. It was a bit tough keeping him IC while having him change as well Hard! 

Enough of me, and my horribly long authors notes. Have a nice day/night/afternoon/whenever you read this. 


	5. Youki

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Memory of a Soul 

Ailian Rhys

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Disclaimer: Idea, new characters (not Rinako) and the words are mine. Everything else is just stuff I'm playing with. 

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Warning: Natsuko's language. Sorry, but it fits her so well…. 

Chapter Five: Youki

Ryoichi closed the fusuma door behind him softly, listening for the soft click that told him it was in place. He allowed himself a small sigh before drawing his stooping shoulders up and starting down the hallway in the direction of the so-called "servant quarters." 

In actuality, these "servants" were all distant descendants of youkai. Yayoi had spent months rounding them all up. How, he did not know, but they all seemed to believe in her blindly. It was almost as if she had brainwashed them all and this was some kind of weird cult…

Ryoichi stopped walking and started to laugh at that crazy—but so _true_—thought. Yes, this _was_ like a cult. A murdering blind cult of fools who worshipped a demon they knew nothing about... 

__

Not that you should talk, Ryoichi reminded himself smartly. His laughter died instantly. He was no different then all of the fools around here. He had followed Yayoi's insane ideas without flinching. Even when she had told him of sacrifices he had done nothing to stop her. He had chased after her ideals like an eager little puppy. 

The part toriyoukai frowned heavily. He happened to spot one of his fellow cult members and flagged the young woman down. She wasn't very pretty but still she wore a beautiful kimono that looked so awkward on her, showing that she was not used to wearing the old garments. She did not bow to him at all and instead gave him an almost insolent glare. 

"What'cha want, Ryoichi?"

"I need someone to watch the room the girls are in," he informed her lightly. "And someone to bring them some water or somethin'. They _reek_." 

The woman huffed, folding her thick arms in a very unladylike way. "I've got work to do."

Ryoichi closed his eyes in annoyance. Work_ with me here…_ he growled to himself. "I know that, Kane-san. I know. But could ya maybe find someone who isn't busy?" He scrounged up his trademark grin. "Please?" 

As predicted the grin melted Kane's defenses. She shrugged languidly. "Sure. Whatever." With that she turned around and continued on her way to the servant quarters. 

Satisfied that the new…guests were taken care of, Ryoichi ducked down a side passageway close by and started for the front courtyard. He'd only been in this complex twice, once on a tour with Yayoi and the former owner, a wealthy reclusive old man who was a wee bit obsessed with history. He had been happy to show the "sweet young couple" his lavish home. The second time had been two days before the ceremony when they had brought Sachiko and her belongings up. The place had been deserted then and when asked Yayoi had only given them a vague answer as to the owner's whereabouts. 

"He had to leave," she had said indifferently. "He allowed me to use his home while he was away."

Ryoichi's suspicions had been aroused by the evasive answer and so, while the women had moved to settle Sachiko in her future room, he had slunk around the hallways and out into the courtyard. In the back, under an old willow tree, was where he had found it. A fresh grave marked with only a nameless wooden cross. 

And yet he had done nothing, had said _nothing_ about it. As soon as he had returned to the two women the thought had fled his mind like a passing dream. Almost as if it had only been an illusion. 

The young man clenched his fist, becoming angry with himself. He felt his nails dig into his palm but they did not cut. Not like his youkai claws would. 

His fingers slackened with that thought and he raised his one hand up to his face as he stopped in the dimly lit hall. He stared at the pale digits with critical and fearful eyes. There had been claws there earlier. He was sure of it. It had to be true. His back muscles were sore as all hell where the…the wings had sprouted from his back. His skin prickled where the feathers had been. There was no mistaking it.

It had been just as Yayoi had said it would be. 

The magic she had invoked had awaken the youkai blood in them all. Something long since dead inside him had suddenly blazed to life last night, stirring his blood to burn like hellfire in his veins. 

It had been…it had been _exhilarating_. 

Ryoichi could not remember a time when he had felt so _alive_. The youkai blood had overtaken his human blood, warming every inch of him. His senses had been alive like they had never been before, as they had no _right_ to be. He could feel every breath the people around him had taken; he could hear every different voice that had spoken into the night. He could see as if it had been the middle of the day. Each little blade of grass had seemed to flicker before him, dancing its own separate little dance on the wind. 

And, the best of all, his soul had felt…free. It was so difficult to explain even to himself. There was just this overall _wildness_ about him then. The earth had been a close friend during that time, reaching out to him and giving him so much. His soul had seemed to mix with it, spreading out far and wide through the night, soaring on its own transparent wings to embrace the complexity of the world without a care. 

Was that how youkai felt? That the earth belonged to them just as much as they belong to the earth? That they were tied together throughout eternity? And that with the earth beside them they had the power to do anything they pleased? 

Who would ever want to be human with that feeling? There had been no stress as a youkai, only a wild sense of abandon, an almost crazy freedom of mind and soul and heart. 

But no…Ryoichi knew what youkai were. They were manifested earth spirits and that was all. He could not be one of them, even if he did carry the blood within him. He was sure his very heart would burst if he carried on with that freedom. This was a world of confined souls and leaden hearts. Without that, with the freedom youkai had, one could go wild. Feral. One would never have enough and would continue looking for more, continue striving to see all that the land saw, feel all that the land touched. And that in the end would drive him crazy. 

Humans, with their emotions and confined senses were able to focus more narrowly. They would not experience the possibilities laid before a youkai. And they would be better for it. 

The young man closed his eyes. If he felt that way, why was he here now? Why was an innocent woman dead, lying contorted on the ground of a cold empty cemetery? Why were two frightened girls mourning behind guarded doors? 

It was because he could not resist. Ryoichi could not fight off the youkai urges that seared through him, no more than he could stop his heart beating. That was probably why all of the little youkai cult were here with Yayoi. They felt the same stirrings in their souls. 

Ryoichi lowered his hand and bowed his head. He stood like that in the dim hall, feeling slightly ashamed of himself. He had never felt this odd…need of his demon blood before. Even with all of the stories his grandfather had passed down to him. No matter how fascinating he found his ancestral past. 

It had all started when he had met Sachiko. 

Sachiko…that was why all of this was happening. Why he was following Yayoi blindly, why he could not feel disgust for brutality, why he wanted his youkai self again. 

He remembered the first time he had met her. The young woman had stared at him coldly as Yayoi had introduced them, her gaze completely indifferent. And completely oblivious. Sachiko didn't know the struggle just her presence was forcing him into. It had been in that moment that his youkai urges had burst to life. There was this air about her that had tried to wheedle his inbred human defenses into relaxing the hold they had on his demon blood. 

Apparently meeting that girl had been his downfall.

Not that Ryoichi could blame it on her. Not really. Because she was dead and he was the one walking down this dark hall to the front to meet Yayoi. He was the one who locked Sachiko's sibling and friend away in the heart of the palace. She'd awakened his dark side; he was the one who was playing along with it. 

Just as he was sure he'd start to suffocate in the dim tunnel of shoji walls Ryoichi finally saw the door he had been searching for. He snagged it hastily and shoved it aside to snap against the frame. Beyond the doorjamb spread the courtyard where the vehicles were still parked. Taking a quick glance towards the distant stairs he realized that the taiyoukai was gone now but the crowd was still mingling about. 

Stepping out cautiously Ryoichi eased the door shut, allowing it to blend back into the exterior wall as if it hadn't been there in the first place. Except now everyone probably knew about it because of his lovely entrance. Growling bitterly to himself for his stupidity—and also to get his mind off his previous thoughts— he started across the gravel. 

Just as he reached the edges of the main porch there was a commotion at the main gate. Turing to see what was going on Ryoichi spotted a black car pulling through, with a familiar face leaning out of the window. The young woman who had been beside him at the ceremony was taking the time to yell at the men at the gateway even as she drove the car up the drive. 

Ryoichi rolled his eyes and sighed in exasperation. Would she ever learn to do one thing at a time? He highly doubted that… 

The black car finally came to a precarious stop on the other side of the red sedan. The brakes complained loudly as the, still cursing, woman forced them to stop on a dime. All of the people clustered in the front courtyard backed away from her quickly. 

All that is except for Ryoichi who ran forward. "Natsuko!" he called out only loud enough to catch her attention. 

Natsuko stopped her grumbling and leaned over and shut off the engine of the beat-up old car. Taking the keys out she tossed them out the window to Ryoichi who almost dropped them out of surprise. "There. I brought the fuckin' car back, like Yayoi said. And you know what, those idiotic_ assholes_ wouldn't let me in!" She pushed a wisp of her black hair out of her face with a huff. "_Me_, the one who set up this whole damn staff in the first place!" 

Ryoichi leaned against the side of the red sedan and folded his arms, allowing the keys to dangle from his fingers. He sent her an aggravated stare. "Could you keep it down? We now have sensitive hearing on the premises."

"Who, you, feather-brain?" 

"Not exactly, Natsuko. I was talking about—"

"I know, I know. The fuckin' great Taiyoukai. Yes, you've told me that a billion times," the young woman complained, rolling her chocolate eyes, "Fuck, you kept going on for a month on how well he could do _this_, how he excelled at _that_. Honestly," she snorted, crossing her arms and leaning back into the worn seat of Azarni's car. "I'd think you had a fuckin' crush on him or something, if it wasn't for the fact that you're straight." 

Ryoichi fought down the bubble of fear that rose in his chest. Yeah, sure, he had spent all that time studying up on inuyoukai. But that was only to know more about the entity that they'd be hosting soon. So that he knew what would keep him from getting _killed_. 

And Natsuko's comments were not high on that "staying alive" list…

"Will you ever be _quiet_!" he snapped. 

"Oh, did I hit a sore spot, birdie?" Natsuko grinned at him slyly. "You know how much cats like to chase cute lil' birdies, boy. Even just with wordplay." 

Ryoichi bit back a sigh. If it wasn't for the fact that Natsuko was Yayoi's cousin, Ryoichi was sure he would have tied the annoying girl up in a corner long ago. And left her there. With a gag made of an old smelly sock. And then he'd just do stupid things in front of her and she wouldn't be able to say anything. Which would drive her insane. 

Yet despite the fact that her mouth never stopped moving, Natsuko _did_ have good points. Like her ability to strategize and organize. She was the one who had coordinated the staff, had the kimonos made up, found ways to get everyone off work. All sorts of things that just made Ryoichi's head spin. 

And she was pretty. Not a beauty like Yayoi, but pretty. 

Although she held nothing against Rinako… 

Ryoichi fought back the blush that began to creep into his cheeks. Yeah, so that girl was pretty…or perhaps angelic was the word. But he had no right to think about that considering that she was now his_ prisoner_. 

But he couldn't help it. He'd watched her a few times when she had been at the Yamashita residence and he'd noticed this sort of pure innocence about her that he'd never seen with anyone else. That was a drawing point right there, as well as the fact that she had beautiful eyes and a willing smile… 

"What'cha fuckin' thinkin' about, Ryo'chi?" Natsuko's gruff voice interrupted his thoughts. Ryoichi blinked owlishly for a minute. The young woman had the door open now and was sitting with her legs slung out of the car. She raised an eyebrow. "Daydreamin', birdie?" 

"No," Ryoichi informed her insolently, closing his fist around the car keys. "I have to hide these somewhere. But after I see Yayoi." 

Natsuko was giving him one of her disturbingly knowing grins but otherwise she let the conversation shift. "Yeah, I have to talk to Yayoi too. About how long she's planning on stayin' up here." 

Ryoichi shrugged. "I don't know about her, since she's got a job. But I'm straight out of college, so I can hang here if she needs me too…" 

"What about that fuckin' cute lil' café job?" Natsuko asked as she slid out of the car and slammed the door closed. Ryoichi winced at the loud noise but didn't say anything. 

"Well, I quit that. It was only temporary, anyway."

"Oh really? So no more fuckin' cute polo shirts?"

Ryoichi rolled his eyes as he led her up towards the main house. The staff had calmed by now and was heading off in different directions. "They weren't cute. They were annoying and too foreign if you ask me." Sliding the door open he motioned her inside. 

They stepped into a wide hallway that spoke of simple elegance. Here the shoji screens were painted with a flower pattern around the bottom. The floor was shining brightly and there was a small shoe rack to the left. There was only one pair of shoes there, belonging to Yayoi. Apparently youkai did not share the same human tradition of removing shoes. 

As they slid off their shoes and set them aside Ryoichi couldn't help but notice that Natsuko was wearing men's clothes. He hadn't really paid attention to it earlier when they had met that previous evening. And it didn't really surprise him at all. She always went against the crowd. 

"Come on, bird-brain. Let's find our high 'n mighty Yayoi." Natsuko remarked as she shoved her cloth footwear into one of the slots. 

"You don't have to look very far, Natsuko," a velvety voice stated ahead of them. 

Ryoichi glanced up to see Yayoi standing in a nearby doorway. She stood straight, watching them with her steely blue eyes. 

She gestured them forward with a graceful hand. "Come." 

Ryoichi and Natsuko shared a glance before following the woman through the door into what was the main parlor. Yayoi certainly was taking her role of a noble-lady to the extreme. She moved with the small flowing steps of a well-bred woman and kept a quiet and reserved air about her. If it wasn't for the fact that he knew exactly how firm and intimidating she could be, Ryoichi was sure he would have fallen for this sign of meekness. 

"Sesshoumaru-sama has been shown to his room," the redhead was saying as she motioned for them both to have a seat at the small table that was set up nearby. Both knelt obediently and Yayoi sunk down gracefully after them. 

"Does he…like it?" Ryoichi asked hesitantly. That was a sore point with him. He knew that the youkai would rather be outside in the forest instead of in a home like this. But they couldn't exactly just let him roam free…

Yayoi shrugged elegantly. "I know not. He said nothing of the matter."

"I would assume that the fact that he isn't here complaining is a good fuckin' hint…" Natsuko threw in with her normal absence of tact. 

"Sesshoumaru-sama will not _complain_," Yayoi rebuffed instantly, her hands coming to rest demurely in her lap. "He is much too noble to do such a little thing."

"No, he'll just come and swipe your head off. That's all…" Ryoichi grumbled under his breath, his eyes on the richly polished table. 

As he sat there with his two fellow conspirators that full weight of what they had done suddenly dropped on his shoulders. How the hell were they supposed to contain the taiyoukai now? They couldn't let him get out into modern-day Tokyo. That would be a complete disaster. The taiyoukai knew nothing of their modern world. That, and the fact that he abhorred humans, which the world was now full of. It wouldn't take him long to start attacking someone—or maybe even something. 

That was the reason that they were up here in the first place. But now that they had him here how were they supposed to _keep_ him here? A demon known for wandering all over Japan for that matter… And a damn powerful one at that. 

"We're insane…" he muttered, brushing his dark hair out of his face. 

"What was that Ryoichi-san?" Yayoi questioned him calmly. 

Ryoichi looked up and saw that both women were looking at him, waiting. "I said that we're insane," he replied at last, his eyes resting on Yayoi.

"Now really, Ryoichi-san, that isn't a very nice thing to say," the woman remarked, returning his gaze icily. For once, surprisingly, Natsuko kept her mouth shut. 

Ryoichi didn't back down from Yayoi's gaze. "It's true, isn't it? We go and bring back a youkai from the past that isn't afraid to rip us, and everyone else for that matter, apart. Then we expect to keep him from wandering off? How exactly do you plan to accomplish _that_ task, Yayoi? It's not as if he'll readily agree to help us by staying cooped up in here for however long he lives. Did you even think that far ahead when you thought this scheme up, Yayoi?" he finished angrily.

"Ryoichi-san," Yayoi started silkily. "You didn't seem averse to my ideas when I first presented them to you. You of all people cannot be having second thoughts. You, my loyal friend Ryoichi."

Ryoichi sighed, lowering his head. She was right, of course. He had been all gung-ho to get the plan into action. He'd been excited as all hell to actually see the youkai his great grandfather had always had stories about. 

But then it had been only a dream; some distant fantasy of Yayoi's that they only talked about. Not something they actually _acted_ on. 

And now here they were in an ancient palace with the Lord of the Western Lands only down the hallway. It had happened, it was done. There was no chance for second thoughts. None whatsoever. 

"Just explain one thing to me, Yayoi…" Ryoichi started slowly, grinding the words out. His hands fisted on the table as his hair fell over his face. "Tell me one thing. That's all I ask…" 

"What do you wish to know, Ryoichi?"

"Why?"

There was silence. He saw the flicker of Natsuko's hands across the table. He heard Yayoi shifted delicately. 

"Actually, I want to know the same thing," Natsuko's voice suddenly interrupted the silence. Ryoichi rose his head a bit and saw the black-haired girl staring at her cousin eagerly. "What the fuck is this all about anyway?"

Ryoichi frowned. Didn't Natsuko know already? But then he stopped and thought about it. Shouldn't _he_ have known already? What kind of idiot _was_ he? 

Yayoi sighed briskly. Ryoichi lifted his head completely and openly stared at her, waiting. "I will have to show you something first. Then you will understand." Rising gracefully to her feet Yayoi arranged her kimono skirt about her legs and started shuffling towards the door. "Follow me." 

Natsuko rose to her feet and started after her. Ryoichi remained seated and stared after them. 

"Ryo'chi?" Natsuko stopped and turned to look at him. "Come on, birdie. Get a move on." 

Bowing his head slightly Ryoichi slowly rose and followed. Yayoi lead them out of the room and down the lacquered hallway. 

"Sesshoumaru-sama's room is near the back of the main house," Yayoi informed them. "Easy access to the back courtyard."

"How do you plan on keeping him here if he has access to the courtyard? He can easily jump that wall," Ryoichi asked in a subdued tone. 

"Ah, yes, well, there is this thing called ancient magic, my friend," Yayoi answered him at last. 

"Ancient magic?" Ryoichi asked in disbelief. Natsuko raised a skeptic eyebrow. 

"Yes. I believe that it will be enough to hold him in." 

Ryoichi opened his mouth to call her insane but a sudden shiver made him stop everything. He stood still in the middle of the hall. "I…I feel it," he whispered. Warmth swirled within his blood, beating against his veins. It was _that_ feeling again, the same one he had around Sachiko. Except now…now it was stronger. 

Yayoi stopped as well, turning back to look at Ryoichi. Natsuko slowed beside her. "That is what I wanted to show you both. I seems that Ryoichi noticed it first," she commented, glancing towards her cousin. "Birds have always been much more sensitive to changes than other youkai." 

She looked back down the hallway in the direction they had been moving as if she was looking for something. "It's spreading farther than before. His power is returning rapidly."

"What the fuck are you talkin' about?" Natsuko hissed, tensing abruptly. She had to have felt the same thing Ryoichi did. 

It finally clicked. After all the stories he had heard from his great grandfather, it finally clicked. Ryoichi now knew what the hell was bothering him so. 

"It's Sesshoumaru-sama's youki…" he managed to get out in a breathy whisper. 

Yayoi nodded with a smug smile on her lips. "Very good, Ryoichi. I knew all your history lessons would come in handy someday." 

"Youki?" Natsuko interrupted angrily with her hands on her hips. "What the fuck is youki?" 

"Demon energy," Ryoichi answer plainly. "The more powerful the demon the stronger the youki. But…" he paused with a frown. 

Yayoi talked right through his contemplative silence. "Sesshoumaru-sama's youki will continue to grow as he heals from the ritual. Once all the sacrificed flesh reverts to his own he'll be at full power. And that's when you will really notice it." 

Natsuko started to fidget rocking from one foot to the other. "But why does it make me feel so antsy?"

Yayoi's only answer was a smirk. 

Ryoichi turned to stare down the hallway in the direction that the energy was coming from his frown set firmly in place. Youki could be felt for large distances if the youkai was in its true form. The humanoid, or false from, usually didn't radiate as much, or so his great grandfather had said. Only truly powerful demons had youki that spread farther than a yard away from the youkai in the false form. The greater spread also depended on how easily the youkai in question could control his or her power. Some could even draw it in or push it out at will. 

So if that was true…and Yayoi had wanted to show them Sesshoumaru's youki…then…

"How far do you expect it to spread, Yayoi?" Ryoichi asked in a tired voice. 

Yayoi continued to smirk. "I would suppose the least distance would be to Tokyo. He is the only full youkai in the world anymore, you know that." 

"What the fuck are you two talking about?" Natsuko demanded. 

Yayoi turned on her cousin and pinned her firm gaze on her. "Don't you feel it? That pull? Doesn't it call out to you, stirring your blood?" A blissful expression crossed over the redhead's face. "That power, it awakens the blood of a dead race. It will be the saving grace of all of us youkai. Not a single one of us can hide from the pull of pure power. It awakens the soul that's screaming to be free!" Yayoi was lost to her two followers as she spread out her arms, trapped in her own little euphoria. 

Ryoichi was the first to feel the stir of weak youki about the woman. "Snap out of it, Yayoi!

At first it appeared that Yayoi would just ignore him but after a moment the power ebbed away and she lowered her arms. Sweeping her red hair behind her she composed herself and glared at Ryoichi. "Why did you interrupt me?"

"Because that is _not_ needed," he barked glaring right back. 

Throughout the argument Natsuko stared at Yayoi with a puzzled expression. She chewed her bottom lip thoughtfully. "So you're planning on using him to…awaken the demon within, then?"

Breaking eye contact with Ryoichi Yayoi sent her cousin a scathing look. "Is that not obvious?"

They both stared at her. "Are you fuckin' _insane_?" Natsuko cried, echoing Ryoichi/s thoughts. 

"Well, you two didn't seem so adverse to the idea before now." Yayoi sent them both a pointed look before she started towards the taiyoukai's rooms again. 

Ryoichi followed her to tell her she was crazy. To ask her what the hell she going to do with the taiyoukai as he "awakened the demon within"? He wasn't just doing to sit quietly like some ancient artifact!

But as they drew closer to the inuyoukai, the more his youkai blood pounded in his veins. The youkai rapture he knew before started to overcome his senses again. The muscles on his back twitched spasmodically wanting to let his true wings free. 

Needless to say, the thought that Yayoi was crazy fled his mind like a dream. 

Who would want to be human when one could know eternity? 

*

Sesshoumaru sat in the middle of his so-called "room" in a straight-back, cross-legged position. His golden eyes were fixed on nothing, staring off into middle space as he tried to reel his senses in. They were so disorganized and disobedient, running off like those of an untrained pup to wander around the new area he found himself in. That would not do at all. He needed them focussed back in again. 

It was very difficult to fall into a meditative trance when his senses were picking up the scent of every single being that traversed these infernal halls. Sesshoumaru was not interested in knowing each servant's smell yet. That would come, _in time_. Yet one quick head-count had lead to this annoying little escapade of the senses. 

Biting back a growl, Sesshoumaru drew most of it in until he was focussed on the room about him and only the normal guarding amount of it remained outside to hint at any trouble. The room was large enough, he supposed, although he never liked to be indoors for long. The most trouble came from the fact that this was a _human_ home. The wood reeked of lacquer, a bitter sulphurous stench. Nothing like the wood paste the youkai households used that only left the original scent of the tree behind. Not only did the wood smell of it, but so did the furniture and even the sheets after a time. Along with that were human perfumes with all those faux smells that he couldn't even register. It was all very irritating. 

Then there were the walls. He could see shadowed shapes of the furniture in the other room through them easily enough. Why humans used such flimsy material was unknown to him. The few youkai –such as his late father—who had made palaces even remotely human-like had used much hardier material, such as youkai spider silk. 

Sesshoumaru felt his ears twitch as one of the servants started talking in a nearby corridor and he forced his senses in again. A healing trance was definitely in order and here he was contemplating the differences between human and youkai craftsmanship. He who had spent his life outdoors with the earth. 

He knew why his senses were like this, of course. Sesshoumaru had an idea as to which spell that inuyoukai had used. A spell that required live flesh and blood. So in essence this was a type of rebirth. The magic converted the flesh to be his own, which in turn drew back the spirit. And of course, as with any birth, rebirth or true, a youkai's senses and instincts were somewhat… misconstrued for a while. Considering that his had not been used for at least one hundred years, this lack of order was to be expected.

Yet that did not mean he had to be pleased with it. 

Using his pure will alone the taiyoukai managed to harness his thoughts in one direction. He focussed on Tenseiga. The sword was still alive, oddly enough. It lay at his side brimming with that mysterious energy it always had when awake. Sesshoumaru didn't quite understand why the blade was so active. Stretching out his only arm he wrapped his fingers about the hilt. 

The world narrowed instantly as an analgesic wave of warmth flooded through him. Sesshoumaru closed his eyes and allowed the sensation to pass. He knew what the sword was doing now. It was trying to speed up the magic's process and make this his body alone. It was a useless gesture on Tenseiga's part. His inbred healing ability could do that easily enough on its own. But it was a thoughtful one, oddly enough. 

"I did not know you thought so highly of me," he muttered before he could stop himself. 

Sesshoumaru opened his eyes to stare at the sword, his clawed thumb idly tracing over the ridges on the hilt. Perhaps this was all because of guilt. Did the Tenseiga believe that it had failed him, allowing him to die as he had done? His fist tightened around the hilt abruptly and Tenseiga's power drew back slightly. 

"No," he ground out. "You did just as I ordered you to do." 

Ordered it to do… That turned his mind in a completely different direction. That girl. The one who smelled so much like her, who _looked_ so much like her. The girl who stared at him with fear and not devotion. The woman who went by a different name. 

_Rinako is similar to Rin,_ he told himself. Yes, similar, but not the same. 

Sesshoumaru was not at all familiar with human customs and beliefs. Could humans be reborn? Was that even possible? Those weak pathetic creatures were allowed the chance to wander through life again as blindly as before? 

_She had not been blind,_ he reminded himself, grudgingly_. She had not been weak despite being only a child_. 

Sesshoumaru couldn't sanely believe that little girl was still alive. It had to have been at least a few hundred years, if the absence of youkai in the area told him anything. Yet…could human souls truly be used again? They were not like youkai spirits, tied to the earth and only one body. They were…

He didn't really know. 

_What does it really matter?_ He asked himself. _You have no need for a human child_. 

Very true. But…if that was her, then it would be at least one familiar thing in this strange new world he found himself in. And it was strange indeed. Youkai hiding as pure humans, an absence of open youki. Those _vehicles_. His ears still rang from that damnable noise. Not to mention the heavy putrid scents that now filled the air. 

Now the air felt thicker when he breathed as if there was something _other_ than air. He had had difficulty breathing properly at first. Although he would never tell those human-youkai that. All he wanted to do was cough up the terrible oppressive substance and find some fresh air. But there _was_ none. Were the humans trying to poison the youkai then? Whatever it was, Sesshoumaru was still laboring with it, although it was not as unbearable as the night before. It was very inconvenient when he needed his sense of smell, however. 

Sesshoumaru growled out loud. _Where_ exactly had his discipline gone? Sesshoumaru had never had this much trouble concentrating since he was only a pup. Years of training had solved that problem. He wasn't looking forward to doing the same thing again. 

Closing his eyes the taiyoukai focussed on his own youki and began to pull it in. With it, as usual, came a few more wayward senses and he shut them down. But not before he noticed that woman's scent. 

__

Damn it. 

Now he was cursing. A sure sign that he was getting irritated. But irritated with _himself_? 

__

Ignore her, he warned himself. _Think on it all later._ _Once you are focussed. Once your mind stops running away with everything._

Withdrawing his hand from Tenseiga Sesshoumaru placed it on his knee before pulling himself to sit up straight. Eyes still closed he concentrated and finally he felt the numbing sensation of trance form at the edges of his mind. He didn't let himself fall as deeply into it as he wanted too. He didn't trust these human-youkai at all. But he let his mind shut down until everything was a dull sensation. 

Sesshoumaru planned on staying in his still and silent half sleep at least until the noon hour. No one was moving near his room and his senses stayed quiet. 

That was until he felt the human-youkai draw near. He caught their scent first, then he heard hushed voices. They were coming towards him. 

That was all it took for Sesshoumaru to snap awake, his instincts coming into play. He found himself growling, his whole body tensing up and ready to spring. He fought down the reaction. Sesshoumaru didn't trust them at all, that was clear, but they had revived him. They had to have some reason in mind. And he was actually curious to know. He focussed on their approach. 

An inu, tori, and neko, all working together. Youkai must definitely be scarce now for that to happen. He couldn't tell what they were discussing. They spoke softly and were a good distance away still. But he did catch the neko's voice every so often. Her language reminded him of…

Sesshoumaru snarled. Not him. _Leave that territory untouched for now._

Inu-Yasha was not his concern any longer. 

He was pulled from his thoughts when a timid wave of youki erupted from the trio talking in the hall. Sesshoumaru blinked in surprise. Youki? It was so pathetically weak that he didn't recognize it at first. Was that all the power they had then? Their youkai blood must have been buried under many layers of human blood. 

Yet the scent of their youkai blood had seemed much greater before. Was it awakening then? They did not seem like the hanyou. There wasn't any bloodlust. Not yet, anyway. 

The energy stopped almost as quickly as it had started. 

If that was all the inuyoukai could do, then she was truly pathetic. _Jaken_ had been able to muster more than she had. 

Sesshoumaru frowned at that. That stupid toad wasn't here any longer. He had no retainer. A lord such as he should have at least one. These human-youkai had to know that at least. Yet he wasn't looking forward to one of their weak little human servants being around him. He could smell a hint of youkai on them all but it was hidden far deeper than the original three. 

Two of which were coming towards him again. The inu and tori. Sesshoumaru stared fixedly at the far wall not wanting to turn to face them when they eventually entered. But, strangely, they did not come. They stopped halfway and turned down a side passage. 

Curious, Sesshoumaru tested the air and noticed that the toriyoukai was starting to awaken as the inu had done. And he was following her without the hesitation the taiyoukai had sensed before. 

Raising a fine eyebrow Sesshoumaru couldn't help but smirk. Tricky woman that inuyoukai was. He would have to watch her. 

----

And there is chapter five. Not my greatest one yet. The ending part with Sesshoumaru is kinda crappy in my opinion, but my brain is starting to melt already. Why? School's coming. Tomorrow. Today is my last day of freedom. And, as usual, school melts my brain. Or fries it. Whichever. 

As to what the heck is going on with Sesshoumaru, let me you ask this. Has anyone ever tried to fall asleep and your brain just won't stop thinking? It keeps whirling and no matter what you try to do you just _can't_ sleep. Well, that's what he's going through. Except he has a bit more sensory distractions than we do… 

I don't think there's anything else. So, bye! ::waves:: (Gasp! A short A/N! Wow…) 


	6. Revelations

**Memory of a Soul **  
Ailian Rhys

**Disclaimer:** Ditto to all those previous. 

**Notes:** A lot is happening in this chapter at the same time. Beware of a few jumps. 

Chapter Six: Revelations

Rinako couldn't sleep. She lay back on the surprisingly soft futon mattress underneath a layer of stiff linen sheets and all she could do was stare at the plain wood ceiling. Of to her left she could hear Azarni's wheezing breaths. She had finally stopped crying it seemed and fallen asleep. 

The young woman felt her heart constrict at the thought of her friend. The poor dear. She hadn't wanted to tell her but after Azarni had seen that last passage in her sister's journal there had been no holding back. 

Rinako could still see Azarni's white face full of shock, disbelief, and underneath it all, pain. But at least she had not called Rinako a liar. It had taken some time to sink in but once it had there was nothing Rinako could do to comfort her desolate friend. Azarni had sobbed and muttered until one of the multitudes of servants around here had shown up. And after that she had fallen into a withdrawn silence that Rinako could not penetrate. 

A silent mutual agreement between the two young women had led them to both unroll their futons and crawl in. There was nothing to do but sleep. And Rinako wanted to give Azarni some private time to think. So she had spent the past hour or so staring at the ceiling and trying not to listen to her friend's sniffles. 

But now that Azarni was sleeping Rinako started to feel the urge to fidget. The sheets were suddenly scratchy against her skin and the room was uncomfortably warm. The light coming in from the covered window was starting to bother her eyes. 

She needed to get up. To _do_ something. 

Drawing in a breath and holding it Rinako listened to Azarni's breathing to double-check if she was awake or not. Despite the occasionally hiccup her breaths where deep and even. Good. 

Folding the covers back Rinako slid out of the cocoon she found herself in. She arranged the bottom of her sleeping yukata—which had been found in the linen chest—about her legs, the young woman rose up on her knees. 

_Okay, I'm up. Now what? _

Rinako found herself with a dilemma. Azarni was sleeping still, which meant she had to do something quiet. She certainly couldn't leave the room. The only problem was that there was nothing in here to occupy her time with.

Well, except for one thing. 

Rinako felt her eyes drawn over to the white back lying so innocuously in the corner. There was a little book in there she could read 

The dark-haired woman stared at the bag as if it would jump up and attack her at any minute. Well, if she read it now then Azarni wouldn't have to be put through the agony of seeing it any longer than necessary. 

But did she really want to read it?

Rinako knew the answer to that question. 

_Damned if you do, damned if you don't. _

Moving slowly and carefully, Rinako pulled herself up and she shuffled over to where the bag was. The floor was a bit chilly against her feet despite it being about afternoon outside. She made quick work of the old latch and soon the journal was in her trembling hands. She glanced back at Azarni and decided to take the book over to her mattress again. That way if Azarni woke she could always hide it under her pillow and pretend to be sleeping still. 

Rinako felt guilty to be working such subterfuge on her best friend but she knew it would be for the best. Azarni didn't need to see it now. 

Crawling back under her covers Rinako lay on her side and held the book with one hand in front of her. It was a slightly uncomfortable position but it made her look to be sleeping if Azarni opened her eyes so it was worth it. 

She stared at the little book for a long moment, running her fingertips over the textured cover. Within these pages might be the answer to all their questions. The ones they wanted to know as well as the ones better left unanswered. Steeling her resolve Rinako flipped the first page open and started to read. 

It was a full page and as she skimmed through it Rinako found that it was talking about how Sachiko was moving in with Azarni's family from another foster home. It spoke of her happiness to be leaving her previous family as well as her reservations about staying with Azarni's. She spoke about how nice she thought the Yamashita's were and who much she liked the house. 

But there was one part that caught Rinako's eye. 

_I only hope they don't think I'm as weird as the Kazesaki family thought I was. This time I'll make sure I don't tell them about the dreams. I'll tell stories instead. Maybe they'll think I'm creative! Because I have to let them out somehow' _

Dreams? Did that mean she was dreaming about the youkai already at such a young age? Feeling a bit ill now Rinako still managed to finish the page reading how Sachiko was planning on keeping a new journal for her new house. 

Then she went to the next one. There wasn't anything here except for Sachiko talking about her new life. The next few pages were the same. Rinako only scanned these, trying to give her late friend at least _some _privacy. 

Then Rinako came to a page that was dated around 1:30 in the morning. The handwriting was a bit shaky as if it had been done in the dark or at least dim light. After reading just the first line Rinako knew this was what she had been looking for. 

_I thought the dreams were done now, since I hadn't had one for such a long time. But I had one tonight. It was more vivid than they've ever been! II'm kinda scared But they're just dreams, right? Maybe it's some big story I don't know I'm planning_

_I'll put it down here now. Maybe that'll help me go to sleep._

_I remember somehow finding myself in a decorated hall. One of the likes I've never seen before with dark walls and no windows. I don't really remember much else about it expect for the fact that there were little places of light that might've been candles. I don't know. There were lots of voices murmuring all around me. Or what I think was me. It didn'tfeel quite right. I felt like I wasn't really therebut I was. I was seeing through someone else's eyes, someone who was taller and could see much better than me. _

_I was kneeling. There was a cushion under my knees, I remember looking at it. It was a beautiful wide pillow, red with white embroidery. Someone was speaking above me, a deep voice I recognized, somehow. Now that I'm awake, I do know who it was. But whatever that man was saying, I didn't know what it was. It felt as if I was listening to everything underwater_

_But then he put his hand on my shoulder and the voices erupted into sound behind me. Then I found myself looking down at a tatami mat The hall was gone and in its place was a room with pale walls. Andit smelled different. Somehow I could notice this I don't know how it smelled different, but it did._

_There were two swords, lying in front of a man's white-clad knees. They were both out of their sheaths and looked to be traditional katanas. The man was speaking again, and then suddenly one of them was in my hand._

_My clawed hand_

_There's no other word for them. They were too long and thick to be just nails. They even bit into my hand when I wrapped my fingers around the leather hilt._

_The sword was cold. It felt dead in my hands. Although a sword cannot be dead, can it? _

_Another hand came and ripped the blade away from me. The man spoke again, something strange. Tess-sai-ga', I think. Then he said something about it being not for you'. _

_Then there was another one. It looked the same as the other sword, but this one was warm underneath my fingers. Itit felt nice to hold it. Or at least I thought so. I'm not too sure about whomever the hand belonged to(It couldn't be mine.) The warmth from the blade crept up my skin and I wanted to keep holding it, but suddenly I found myself shoving it back in its sheath. _

_There was a chuckle, than that deep voice again. Ten-sei-ga'. That's what he said. Where those strange words names of some sort? _

_Some distant part of me wasn't happy. And I think that part is whomever the clawed hand belonged to _

_I was standing then. I don't remember how I got up so fast, but soon I bowed and was out the door. There was a click of a closing door behind me and the sword was still in my hands. _

_Then I was outside, the sword at my side. I remember a lady in kimono sitting on a nearby bench. Then there was the patter of feet behind me._

_And a new smell._

_I don't remember turning around, but soon there was a little ball of red before me, and a happy voice grated at my ears. It said_

_Aniki'. _

__

_Then I woke up._

_AnikiI don't really understand it. Those swordsAnd who was that man? The woman? And who, most important of all, was _I_? _

_This is just too weird It was me but it wasn't. And those claws _

_I think I'll try to get to sleep now Otou-san's taking Azarni and me out tomorrow. I don't want them to know I was up all night _

_Don't think about the claws Sachiko_

*

Ryoichi stared balefully down at the book that lay spread in his lap. The words stared definitely back up at him, bound and determined not to make any sense at all. He would read them but a second later he would forget what they had told him. It was ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous

It didn't help much that he couldn't keep his mind away from that one room down the hall

The shoji door behind him opened with a snap and Ryoichi jumped nearly a foot in the air. Whipping around he saw Yayoi enter with Natsuko on her heels. 

"How did I know that I would find you in the library, Ryoichi-san?" the redhead asked sweetly, walking across the room with her gliding strides to sink peacefully down at his side. Ryoichi watched her in amazement, his head turning to follow her movements. 

"Books always have fascinated me," he replied numbly. His eyes drifted back down to the page in his lap and he idly ran his finger along the old vellum pages. "Especially old ones."

"Then I take it you are feeling better now?" Ryoichi could just hear the smile in her voice. He nodded. "Somewhat. More rejuvenated, surely." 

"Yes, isn't it wonderful?"

"Errhate to break the moment, cuz," Natsuko spoke up suddenly from where she stood just inside the door. "But we did come to disturb birdie here for a reason" 

Ryoichi glanced over his shoulder and watched the young woman as she shifted from foot to foot nervously. There was an openly anxious expression on her face. "Natsuko?" 

Natsuko twitched at his voice, a strange emotion flashing over her face. "Yeah, bird?" she asked gruffly. 

Something wasn't right here. Ryoichi watched Natsuko glare at him while trying to hide the nervous twitching of her one foot. He could see the material of her pants jerking with the movement, a dead giveaway. 

Ryoichi turned back around to face Yayoi who was watching them both with an impassive face. He frowned. "Is there something wrong, Yayoi?"

The redhead smoothed her kimono out over her knees casually. "I have decided what to do with the girls we brought back." 

Ryoichi blinked, his frown fading slightly as a look of surprise flashed over his face. "Already? Butwe've only been here for half a day already" 

"The decision was rather simple, Ryoichi. Very simple. That is why I have it settled already." 

"So, what are you going to do, Yayoi?" 

As soon as those words left his mouth Ryoichi was overtaken with a deep feeling of dread. It descended on his soul and seemed to suffocate him in an instant. His instincts were running wild.

_Something is wrongvery very very wrong._

Her face was far too calmtoo set

He drew in a deep breath and watched as Yayoi's lips slowly formed the words

"Kill them."

*

Rinako flipped to another page. Her eyes scanned it quickly before turning to the next. Nearly a quarter of the way through the small book she was starting to see the whole ordeal bloom before her eyes. Sachiko was having dreamsdreams about Sesshoumaru-sama. 

But they was more than dreams It was like she was _reliving_ parts of his life. 

After the matter of the odd swords was a recollection of the death of what Sachiko believed to be a very important person. 

_This Inutaishohe must hold some value to meor whoever I am. I feel the ache insidebut there is also something almost bittersomething like hatred. At what, I'm not all too sure. Certainly not the man. Someone else. Or maybe just the cruel world in general? I don't know _

There were flashes of images that Sachiko had sketched on some of her pages, images that she described in vivid detail in her writing. There were things such as outfits or even a certain forest tree line to subjects much more detailed, such as the shape and length of claws to the intricate tie of an obi. 

Rinako read on, watching the story of Sachiko's second-identity unfold. Stories of a small impish creature, a mortal woman Sachiko knew she _had_ to hate, a tiny boy with odd ears who stared up at her with puzzled gold eyes. 

There were other creatures she'd noted down. There was a talking tree. A fire-breathing blacksmith. Someone she called an "old bird". Then there were people that Sachiko labeled as "inuyoukai" that she noted she recalled from her other personality's youth. A faceless woman who sported pointed ears and hair like moonlight. Hahaue, Sachiko called her. 

Then came the most tragic event Rinako had read of so far. 

__

_That woman died. The one I am to hate. I know she did. I can smell the death from where I stand. There is a small village below, tiny amidst the trees but very easy to see. There is a swarm of humans clustered about, all facing towards something in the middle of them all. They are shouting, voices raised to what I find to be a rather irritating level. _

_I smell blood in the air, familiar blood, but not enough to kill. Suddenly the crowd parts and a small red blur streaks away. The humans curse and throw a few stones but they do not give chase._

_I recognize the red blur. It's the little boy. The dog-eared one. He runs at full speed for the forest, the smell of blood disappearing with him. As soon as the boy is beyond the trees the humans relax and disband, no longer upset now that he is gone._

_But I can still see him. He leaps into a tree and hunkers down against the trunk. _

_A voice speaks behind me, an older wiser voice I remember being about whenever Inutaisho was. Must be a servant or advisor of some sort. _

_"You will not go after him?"_

_I feel my lips move as if on their own violation. It's not me speaking. But I know what is going to be said_

_"The hanyou? He has caused us enough trouble. Let him go." _

_The voice is so odd, deep and male. But so empty and cold. So arrogant. _

_"Your own brother?"_

_A flash of irritation. There is something underneath. Anger? Maybe..._guilt_? _

_"Inu-Yasha can die if he so wishes. I could care less for him. He was Chichiue's mistake. Not mine."_

_"If you so decree." _

_Not even looking back at the cringing and whimpering boy, I left. _

__

Rinako swallowed the lump that had somehow formed in her throat. That wasthat was so cruel How could anyone just _leave_ that boy there like that? She felt her heart go out to the boy she had never met. Or even seen for that matter. 

But the namethat name It was familiar. Isn't that what Sachiko called Azarni whenever they played Demons with the older girl? Inu-Yasha 

So it was true then. All those times they had played Sachiko's make-believe stories they had actually been the past of the demon that was now under the same roof as Rinako. 

She could help but feel her skin crawl. Rinako's grip around the journal tightened and she sunk back down into the pillows. She suddenly felt sick. So, Sachiko had made her little sister the hated brother. That was disturbing. And yet Sachiko had always seemed to like Azarni 

As if on cue Rinako heard Azarni shift on her futon. The young woman unconsciously held her breath as she waited for the girl to settle. Once the rustling of sheets stopped Rinako took a sideways glance over at Azarni. She let out her breath in a huge gush. Good. She'd only moved. She wasn't awake. 

Without even thinking Rinako rolled back up on her elbow and opened the book again. She flipped past the last scene and started reading the next page. Then she stopped, frowning. 

Why was she reading anymore? That beast was a monster; that was plain to see. Hating his own little brother and the boy's mother for no apparent reason. Not even Sachilko was able to understand why. 

But there had to be a reasondidn't there? There had to be something 

And so Rinako read on.

_This dream wasstrange. I almost didn't think it was the same person at first—I felt differentolder maybe? —until I saw the dog-eared boy again. But he wasn't a boy this time. He was a man who brandished a huge blade that seemed so familiar He wore an expression of fierce concentration although his eyes were cloudy and focussed into the middle distance. Could he not see? _

_If he could or not, he could still swing the sword. And he did. But instead of striking he released a wave of energy. Some part of my mind knew what it wasbut I didn't. I still don't. But whatever it was; it hurt. Like hell. The energy was hot, eating away at my skin. I wanted to run screaming, but that other part of me—the much stronger and more stubborn part—struggled against it. But he failed in the end. He grunted in pain. Then a hoarse scream. _

_I've never heard him scream before. _

_And in that instant, when I thought we were doomed—although he was too stubborn to admit it—I felt Tenseiga. I remember that sword, even if he didn't. The sword's magic pulsed._

_And we were gone. _

_I thought that I was going to wake up then. It got dark like it usually does. But I didn't. _He_ did._ _Somewhere I have no idea where we were and he didn't either. It was a forest. That much_ I_ could tell. _

_He wasn't in very good shape. Or maybe even we? Because_ I_ could feel the stiffness, the wounds. The labor to breathe. It was kind of scary I'd never seen him get hurt like this before_

_Neither had I ever looked out through his eyes to see a veil of red. Colors were different, shapes were more distinct. Something had changed with him I felt wilder, more on edge. What was this? What was the matter with him? _

_That's when I met the girl._

__

Rinako dropped the book in shock. The writing had changed in-between those two sentences. Now she was staring at the strange ancient script. The transition between the two writings was seamless, as if Sachiko hadn't even noticed the change. 

The young woman cautiously reached down to pick up the journal again. She studied the page and saw that the new writing continued down until the end. And not only did the script change, but so did the way everything was written as well. It wasn't a young girl's words but rather those of someone bred to formality. There wasn't any slang; the most formal and complicated kanji were used. Rinako felt as if she was reading some ancient document instead of a young girl's diary. 

And Sachiko was now writing in a first-person context. There was no longer a him' like before. Just an I' or me'. 

_She was a little human child. That was plain enough to sense. I felt no desire to deal with anyone at that point. Especially not a human. Yet she came and I had to scare her off. I will not be gawked at as if I were some common animal. Nor did I want the nearby village to know I was there. Granted, they would be simple enough to dispose of if necessary. However, I felt no desire to even sit up, let alone deal with such simpletons. _

_Who would ever believe the word of a child? Especially that there was a downed youkai in the woods. A foolish thought, certainly. _

_An aggravating one as well. To be so demeanedby the hanyou no less. It was—and is—absurd. Yet I must also state that it _was_ Chichiue's sword which caused the damage. Not the pup. He only swung his powerful gift. He probably does not even understand how he was able to harness Tetsusaiga. He was always a rather slow learner, if I recall. At least Chichiue had often lamented that fact. _

_I had to resign myself to the fact that I would not be able to leave the area that night. Yet perhaps the next._

_That little girl soon returned, however. Bearing what I suppose was food. And water. Nothing to pique my interest. Although I would not haven taken it even if it did. I did not need the aid of an insipid little human. _

_Yet she returned. I refused. She came back. I refused again. Irritating little brat. The little girl who smelled of the earth, not the enclosed smoky scent of village-humans. There were not any other human scents on her, very uncommon for children. I'd seen very few, but most had had the sense of their guardian's about them. She had nothing. Just the scent of filth and a few old cuts. Her blood was human but it carried a sweeter scent than is common. Oddly enough. _

_If she continued to return at least she was not as irritating as the other humans were to my senses. Along with this was the fact that she did not speak. Silence. Healing silence._

_And she did return. However this time she was different. She reeked of men and sported more cuts and bruises than before. One eyes was shut—so much for human healing abilities. _

_Yet despite this she approached me even closer than previously. And she was not afraid. On second thought, she never had been. Nothing more than cautious. _

_Perhaps she is made of something stronger than I at first predicted. _

_It amazes me how humans treat their young. You would never find a youkai child beaten such as she unless you found the body of the culprit by her side. Yet perhaps that is because youkai rarely loose their parents. I myself am an exception, especially in the high-levels of the aristocracy. Yet I have always been capable of watching out for myself, even when Chichiue was alive. To be unable is a weakness I will not be accused of. _

_Humans, adult or child, have always been inept. But did they not usually band together in some senseless idea of unity and protection? Why attack a child of their own? _

_Did they know that she was coming here? _

_Curiosity was what made me ask the child about her new abrasions. Andoddly enough, she _smiled_ at me. Itdid not make any sense, really. She must have been a bit off in the head. At least I had thought so at the time. _

_Foolish humans and their unstable emotions. Sad to cheerful in an instant—ridiculous._

_Yet when I realized that she was dead, I too was foolish. Foolish to remember the change in the little girl. For she did not only smileshe lit up. Uncharacteristically poetic that may be, however there was no other way to explain it. There still is not. The tiny child who breathes again because of Tenseiga now spends her new time running through fields of flowers and chatting away happily. The human girl now so devoted. To me. _

_I would have never thought _

_Rin, the little human I cannot rid myself of the only one _

__

"I." 

Rin The name stared up at her almost accusingly.

Rin

Rin

It couldn't be

*

Sesshoumaru opened his eyes slowly, waking from his half-sleep. He felt improved but not perfect. The wandering senses were controlled somewhat, but the base instincts were still foremost in his mind. The training he had gained seemed to be eluding him for now. 

Uncurling his lone hand from his lap, the taiyoukai grasped the swords on the floor beside him before rising to his feet. It was mid-day now, if the light coming in through the paper walls was any indication. He heard the bustle of servants moving along nearby. They were closer than they had been previously. It seemed that they were becoming more accustomed to his presence. And in such a short time too. Very foolish. 

Sesshoumaru took the time to look around his new quarters, taking in the ornamental calligraphy and paintings on the walls as well as the unused futon with silken sheets underneath the north window. There were doors to the outside, he noted, painted with a tree line along the bottom. Such an extravagant display from the humans. Yet it was nothing like what he had known before, especially in the time of Inutaisho. The taiyoukai infamous for his lavish palaces as well as for being a willing patron of the arts. 

He couldn't help but smirk at that thought. _Ah, yes, Chichiue had always been one for the arts. That's exactly what he called Hahaue. A work of art_

Sesshoumaru refused to remember whom else Inutaisho had called a work of art. For his father had fallen out of good taste by then. 

Pushing such thoughts away the youkai attached his swords back to their place at his hip. He allowed his mind to wander back to what he had contemplated during his meditation. He had a plan of action now, although a bit vague. Finding himself a retainer was one problem to be addressed. That was something easily done. 

Then there were other matters. One was finding out where he was. And why. The first he was certain he could figure out once he received his retainer. The second he could simply force those human-youkai to tell him. Those three had to have had some sort of scheme in mind when they resurrected him. Although Sesshoumaru knew he was a highly praised taiyoukai, he also knew that youkai did not go around reviving others, even one such as he, just out of respect. Whoever believed that could justly be referred to as an idiot. 

Last but not least was the matter of the human girl. Although a bit disturbed by his decision, Sesshoumaru was going to stick too it. He was going to speak to the human and try to determine if she was anything like his Rin. 

It was a curiosity he just could not get rid of. It was almost an obsession. To see if by some chancehis little girl was with him again.

Those words stopped him cold.

_Fool_, he chided himself. _So very degradingShe was nothing but a human brat. And here I am, acting like a sentimental imbecile_

Death must have had some strange effect on him. He had never been so maudlin in all of his previous life. And now it was for no reason whatsoever. That girl meant nothing to him!

_But I did tell Tenseiga too_

Ripping his mind from that line of thought, Sesshoumaru focussed on his more pressing dilemma. Sentimental or not, he wanted to know if that was Rin. And once he discovered if it was she or notthen he could deal with these new emotions. 

They were probably just aftereffects of the magic anyhow

That decided the taiyoukai turned towards the interior doors. He could smell the three human-youkai inside the castle. He would find them and have his questions answered. Either the easy way, or the more difficult one, it mattered not. 

Opening the doors slowly he stepped out into the hall. As soon as his presence was noticed the few servants nearby froze. Their fear was thick, swirling like a cloud around them all. 

When he caught sight of them Sesshoumaru realized something. He wasn't going to debase himself any further. If he did not have his own retainer to do the menial labor, he would utilize one of these pathetic humans for now. 

Although stuck in an unfamiliar home Sesshoumaru would be damned before he gave up his dignity. He would bend these human customs to fit into the ones he knew. One of which was to have the servant open the doors. A trivial thing, but a familiar habit he was going to keep. 

Youkai retainers often did such things for their Masters when they were indoors. It was as much as they could do considering the protection their lord gave to them either in or out of the castle. Jaken had become a skillful little toad at this, often knowing before Sesshoumaru even rose that his master wished to leave a room. And now the damned toad was gone. 

Sesshoumaru turned on the nearest servant, a tiny little slip of a girl who was openly shaking. He drew himself up, fixing her with a demanding gaze. "Close the door then follow me." 

The girl squeaked before nodding her head several times and tiptoeing around him to the door. It was a good thing she'd stopped nodding. One more shake and her neck would have snapped, he was sure. Such pathetic little things these humans were. 

The girl took an amazingly long time to close a simple door. Sesshoumaru was just starting to feel his agitation grow when she finally popped back up into his view. "A-a-after you, m-m'lord" the tiny thing stuttered, her whole body quivering.

Sesshoumaru almost snorted in disgust, but was able to hold it back at the last second.

Truly pathetic. 

*

"_Kill_ them!" 

Ryoichi was on his feet in an instant, staring down at Yayoi's damnable calm face in total shock. 

The woman nodded decisively. "Yes, Ryoichi. How else to get them out of the way? I am certain they will not stay silent."

"Butwho would believe such a story, Yayoi? Everyone will think they are crazy, you know. Insane The police won't think anything of what they sayA demon. Hell, they might even get a nice white jacket for that one" 

Ryoichi knew he was babbling. But he had to convince her. Had to make her stop. And if his brain was not able to come up with a solid argument he'd just keep at his rambling and hope that Yayoi would somehow change her own mind. Which was unlikely

Yayoi's logic was much slower and more focussed than Ryoichi's. "Ryoichi, you seem to forget that they know what we look like. And that they know where we buried the body. And I am sure that there are not too many palaces left like this one. With just a shred of evidence I am sure someone will believe their story. If not the demon then at least a "murder." Think on this seriously, Ryoichi-san. Besides, they are only in the way." 

The young man moved forward and grasped the front of Yayoi's kimono and shook her fiercely. Natsuko growled behind him, coming closer. Ryoichi ignored her, staring accusing down into Yayoi's slightly astonished eyes. He spoke, punctuating each word with a shake. "You cannot hurt Rinako!" Ryoichi froze as soon as the words left his lips. That wasn't what he had been planning on saying

Yayoi's eyes narrowed dangerously and she tried to jerk out of Ryoichi's grasp. "Why not?" she snarled with a poisonous voice. Ryoichi was shocked by her anger. He tried to take a step back but only ended up dragging her with him. The silk of her kimono allowed her to slide easily across the polished floor. 

"She is the biggest problem of the two!" Yayoi continued, her voice seething. "She is the one we must get rid of first!"

"Why?" Ryoichi asked in astonishment. Rinako was just the helpless bystander. Nothing more, nothing less. 

"Why should we save her?" Yayoi shot back. 

Ryoichi answered immediately, defensively. "Sesshoumaru-sama seems to like her for some reason."

If he hadn't know better Ryoichi would have sworn that Yayoi was part snake. Only a snake should be able to hiss as dangerously as she did then. "Exactly!" 

"Exactly?"

"We cannot have him distracted by that human!" 

Distracted? Ryoichi looked into Yayoi's angry, defiant face and realized that there was more she wasn't telling him. Something that the bitch was holding back from everyone. 

"Natsuko!" Yayoi barked suddenly, twisting in Ryoichi's grip to look at her cousin, who was watching them both now with wide eyes. "Go and get rid of them. Now." 

Ryoichi jumped, shocked, and inadvertently released her. Yayoi fell forward slightly but caught herself with her hands. Still kneeling in this very unladylike position she glared at Natsuko, who hesitated. "Go!"

Natsuko moved, making her way towards the door. Ryoichi whipped around, trying to grab her but as soon as he moved Natsuko sped up. She grasped the door and tried to snap it open. As soon as she did so there was a cry of surprise outside and Ryoichi saw the faint sight of a shadow leaping back. 

"A spy!" Natsuko exclaimed, thrusting the door open with a forceful shove. 

She froze in shock. 

Huddled before the door on her knees was one of the house servants. Yet standing behind her, his face completely unreadable, was Sesshoumaru. 

The occupants of the room stared at him. Natsuko had her mouth agape. Ryoichi felt his legs threaten to give away beneath him. And YayoiYayoi looked as if she was made out of marble. A look of complete and utter shock was etched on her face and she seemed to forget the very unattractive position she was in. 

Sesshoumaru's cold eyes scanned the room and Ryoichi nearly died when they fell on him. The young man just wanted to sink down through the floorboards to hell, especially as that gaze lingered, seeming content to watch him suffer. 

The servant girl who had been about to open the door suddenly leapt to her feet. "Here you are, Sesshoumaru-sama!" she rushed out in one breath, her voice edgy. "The door is open. May I go?" 

Sesshoumaru only inclined his head slightly and she took that as a cue. Gathering up her skirts, she fled, footsteps echoing down the hallway. 

The taiyoukais eyes left Ryoichi and descended on Yayoi. Ryoichi saw her flinch out of the corner of his eyes. 

"I do so hope that I am not interrupting anything," Sesshoumaru stated with a deadpan voice, his expression completely neutral. There wasn't even a hint of humor in his tone. But Ryoichi did not miss the condescension underneath. 

"Oh no, no, Sesshoumaru-sama!" he exclaimed, hurrying forward. Forcefully shoving the still spell-bounded Natsuko out of the way he knelt where she been standing beside the door, bowing. "It is our pleasure. Come in, please." 

But Sesshoumaru did not enter. Instead he only pinned a haughty gaze on Ryoichi. "I require two things from you," he spoke softly, as if he was purposely ignoring the others in the room. 

Ryoichi glanced upwards, making certain to not meet his eyes. "Which are, Sesshoumaru-sama?" 

"A retainer, for one. I did not enjoy having to come here myself to speak with you. And second," Ryoichi noticed that he was looking at Yayoi now. "I wish to speak with the human, Rinako." 

Rinako? Did this have to do with earlier, on the stairs? Ryoichi thought he should be afraid of the demon in front of him requesting Rinako's presence, but for some reason he wasn't. He was more afraid of Yayoi's reaction to Rinako than Sesshoumaru's. 

"If you wish it, m'lord, it shall be done." Ryoichi bowed again and he heard Yayoi and Natsuko do the same behind him, finally. 

But Sesshoumaru did not leave. Ryoichi still felt his presence in the doorway. So he remained bent over, trying to fight his instincts not to bare his neck to the predator before him. What seemed like hours to the bent over young man was actually only a few seconds. But finally the taiyoukai spoke. 

"Come with me, tori." 

Ryoichi's heart nearly stopped. "Sesshoumaru-sama?" he asked, taking a hesitantly glance up at the youkai. He saw that the gold eyes were studying him evenly. 

"You, tori, shall be my retainer." 

---

Another chapter done! Whoo! And to think, I've been working on this thing all week after schooland I only got three pages written. So I sit down on Sunday and after two hours I get 7 pages. -_-What school can do to you 

Anyway, this plot is finally starting to see some action. Isn't it _amazing_? Yeah, I thought so too. I had fun writing this chapter, especially the Sess part, for some odd reason. I guess I was in a scornful mood todayalthough I don't feel like I am. Hmm. 

That ending was a big rush, wasn't it? I noticed that on rereading it. But, hey, it fits the moment. 

A few tidbits for later on. One, the next chapter does have a meeting between Sess and Rinako. Which will be fun. And also: Inu-Yasha and Kagome will be featured later in this story. How? You'll just have to wait and see. But I will say this about Inu-Yasha: it's not as a reincarnation. 

One more thing: I know I don't respond to reviews like other authors. I just feel that doing that takes up way too much space. My ten page chapters and horrendously long A/Ns take up enough space as it is. But I will tell you all that I do appreciate the reviews I have. Sure, this story doesn't have a truckload, but I'm enjoying writing this so I'm happy that others like it too. 

So, see you next time. 


	7. Rinako san

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Memory of a Soul 

Ailian Rhys

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Disclaimer: Need I do this again? 

****

Notes: This is the "big" transitional chapter in the relationship between Rinako and Sess. But it's only the first step. 

::laughs:: I'm listening to "One Winged Angel" from FFVII (for the billionth time…). What about the "One _Armed_ Angel"? ^__^ Or even Devil, if you must. ^__^ 

(And yes, I do like Sephy [FFVII]…I'm a "villain" person. That and I love "creepy" Latin choirs. )

::rereads chapter:: Holy {bleep}! This is about the size of my short stories!!!

Chapter Seven: "Rinako-san."

Azarni yawned, listening to her jaw bone creak in protest. Rolling over on her side she allowed her eyes to open slowly, grumbling irritably at the thin line of light that had somehow found its way to shine on her bed. Was it really that late? She never slept this late in the morning…

But as soon as her eyes opened the young woman found herself staring at a plain shoji wall with dark wood trim instead of the normal bright green of her bedroom. And where were her posters? And computer? As a matter of fact…where was _home_? 

It all came back to her, crushing her like a mental tidal wave. For a moment she couldn't breathe as the image of her sister flashed before her eyes, twisted for all eternity with a look of pure pain on her face. Only to be replaced with the image of a demon, one made of pale moonlight, who stared at her with his frozen sun eyes before turning and walking away in a flurry of snowy hair and robes. 

Taking Sachiko away with him…

"No!" she managed to croak hoarsely, leaning forward for him, trying to grasp the last remnants of her sister. She couldn't be gone…

But the demon didn't turn. Instead he vanished as silently as he had come, only to be replaced with Rinako's startled eyes only a foot from her. 

"Azarni?" 

It was then that the woman noticed that she was sitting straight up in bed, one hand clasping the sheets to her chest as the other stretched out helplessly…to grasp nothing. Rinako knelt at her side with an odd look on her face that looked to be a mix of fear…and guilt?

Azarni allowed her outstretched arm to fall limply in her lap and she drew in a deep calming breath, exhaling slowly. She gazed at Rinako steadily, trying to figure out what was bothering her friend. But the expression was gone from her face soon afterwards, only to be replaced by worry. 

"What's the matter, Azarni?" 

"I—" she couldn't finish. All she could see was the white outline of Sachiko slowly leaving her again… Sachiko with endlessly long hair of molten silver. 

No. Azarni forcefully pushed those thoughts away. She wasn't going to think about that now. 

"A bad dream?" Rinako asked cautiously, sitting back on her heels. 

Azarni nodded slowly. "Yeah…but it's gone now." She smiled thinly. 

Rinako's face was full of compassion. Stretching out a hand towards Azarni's stooped shoulders, she let it hover there. Azarni stared at her a minute before nodding minutely and soon she felt the warm pressure against the thin material of her yukata. 

And that snapped her back to reality. The ghostly image of her sister was gone completely. At least for a time. 

"Why has this happened?" she murmured sadly, her cheek coming to rest against Rinako's hand. 

The fingers under her cheek clenched, griping her shoulder more tightly. "I don't know…" Rinako's voice sounded far away, like her mind was wandering. But Azarni didn't really mind. She just needed a solid, physical presence in this now titled world she was living in. Rinako was there and would always be, no matter where her mind wandered. 

But still, Azarni could not help but to wonder what was bothering her friend so. Had something happened while she'd been asleep? But hadn't Rinako been asleep too? 

Azarni lifted her head and peered at Rinako closely as the other woman stared out into the middle distance. Something was clearly bugging her; Azarni could see just see the thoughts flashing behind her eyes. Yet, what disturbed Azarni the most was Rinako's grim appearance. Her lips were pressed in a firm line and there was an air of fear about her that anyone could see that she was desperately trying to hide. 

Pushing her own troubles back for a moment, Azarni asked, quietly. "What's the matter?"

Rinako jumped in surprise, eyes snapping back to fix on Azarni with a half-fearful, half-guilty expression. Her eyebrows quickly drew down in puzzlement, the other emotions filtering away. "Wrong?" Azarni caught the faint hesitation in her tone and knew that she was trying to hide something. 

She glared at the dark-haired woman, some of her spirit returning with a challenge. "Yes, wrong. And I can tell Rinako. It's all over you're face!" 

Rinako looked down at her knees, contemplation etched on her face. "I…suppose you would." She shrugged then, almost nonchalantly except for the sudden stiffness in her expression. "It's nothing really. Nothing you should worry about, anyway."

"Rinako…" Azarni warned, drawing herself up to sit straight before her friend. "I _want_ to know." 

The woman glanced at her, eyes troubled. "Are you sure…after all this…"

Azarni put a wavering smile over the chill she felt in her heart. "If it'll help you, then of course. You've done so much for me already…"

Rinako gave her a hesitant grin in return, which quickly disappeared when she started speaking. "Well…it's just that when you were sleeping I was…well, reading…Sachiko's journal," she trailed off, watching Azarni uncertainly. 

Azarni kept up her brave façade even as a thrill of fear raced down her spine. What had she read that would upset her so? She nodded, telling Rinako to continue. 

"And…well, it was a bit eerie. Put me on edge…like a horror novel… Because you see—" she faltered slightly. "Well, Sachiko was reliving…well past experiences. And some were a bit…surprising…" 

"Such as?"

Rinako blinked at her, taken aback. Her eyes wandered over to her futon for a moment before returning to Azarni. She wet her lips quickly before chewing on her bottom lip. "Sachiko…when you played with her…she called you after the demon's half-brother. Inu-Yasha," she reminded as Azarni stared at her. As if she wouldn't remember Sachiko racing after her through the house, trampling the couch when she climbed over it, as she called out, "Get _back_ here, Inu-Yasha!" And then how, giggling, Azarni would stop and give her a fake growl. And how Mama would only shake her head with the warm-hearted smile of a mother when the two would do their pretend 'battles' that should have only been for little boys.

But to find out that all that was real…that it had happened to Sachiko before…. No, it didn't make sense…it…

"You mean to say…that that…thing…it was…that all that… Everything was _real_?"

Rinako nodded slowly. "Yes."

"I always thought she made it up!" 

"No…All of it was real. At least all that I know of…"

Azarni was desperate. She came very close to clasping her hands together to beg, but stopped herself. They're had to be another answer…. "But what if she's making up the stuff in the journal?" she asked hopefully, inwardly cringing at the slight to her sister. 

Rinako shook her head, decisively even as she picked nervously at the hem of her yukata. "No, Azarni. I think it's all true." She hesitated a moment before continuing. "How else do we explain the creature we've _seen_? With our own eyes at that. I don't think it's just a figment of our imagination." 

Azarni bit her lip, knawing at the flesh relentlessly as she squeezed her eyes shut. She didn't want Rinako to make sense. Didn't want her to be right. But she did. And she was. And there was nothing Azarni could do about it. 

She sighed softly, looking down at her hands. "I just don't understand how Sachiko could be turned into something like that…" 

"Actually…" Rinako started with a voice that was quieter than usual. Azarni looked up to see her friend frowning lightly, staring back at her futon. She turned to face Azarni before continuing. "I think Sesshoumaru came _before_ Sachiko, Azarni." 

"But…"

Rinako cut her off. "If you think about it, it makes sense. The old palace, the outfits. This is some sort of creature from the past…but how was Sachiko linked to him?" she finished with a quiet, musing tone, her hand coming up to rub her chin. As she stared out into the distance Azarni stared at her. 

The door being shoved open behind them with a sharp snap immediately interrupted the relative quiet of the room. Both girls jumped nearly a foot in the air as if the noise had snapped the tension spring that had been in the room. Rinako spun around to face the intruder. 

A middle-aged woman stood in the doorway, carrying a pile of fabric over one shoulder while she balanced a tray in her hands. Grumbling irritably about 'so many damned people here and no one to help me', she shuffled into the room. Almost immediately her foot slipped out and shoved the door closed, efficiently stopping all ideas of escaping. 

Both girls watched with mouths agape as the woman plunked down the tray—which they saw held bowls of rice and chopsticks—on a small table and then turned to them. 

"All right then," she barked with a gruff voice. "This is your supper. Eat hearty, girls." 

Azarni openly stared at the woman. She's forgotten there were normal people here. Rinako seemed to be as shocked as she was and only stared at the woman dumbly. 

The lady sneered, which contrasted sharply with her flowery kimono. "Are you both stupid or what? I ain't got all day, y'know!" 

Rinako rose first, standing unsteadily on her feet and almost falling over again. But she managed to steady herself and turned to Azarni, offering her a hand. Sh excepted readily, pulling herself up. They crossed the room and the woman angrily pointed at the two bowls of rice. 

"Eat it. And be quick about it!"

"Why?" Rinako asked curiously as they sat down at the table. Azarni gave her friend a dark look that was clear said 'don't push it'. But Rinako only smiled charmingly at the woman, her fear seeming to be gone. Azarni took the chance to glance down at her rice, poking at it with her chopstick to see if it wasn't poisoned or something. It smelled like rice. It looked like rice. Not being an expert by any means at detecting poison she decided that it had to be only rice. 

Azarni had just put a mouthful of food in her mouth when the scowling woman finally answered Rinako. She looked very unhappy to be asked the question at all. 

"You," she spat, nearly jamming her stubby finger in Rinako's face. "Are gonna go see the Master." 

Azarni stopped chewing instantly and her eyes grew wider than the bowl. Panicked she looked at Rinako who was now as pale as a bleached sheet. 

"M-master?" she asked timidly. 

The woman rolled her eyes. "Young one's these days," she grumbled. Pinning her watery blue gaze back on Rinako she finally cleared up the matter. "Yeah, the Master. Sesshoumaru-sama." 

Azarni almost choked on her rice. After a minute of coughing and sputtering—in which no one helped her—she managed to get it down. "WHAT?" she cried, whirling to face Rinako. 

The young woman looked petrified. Her dark eyes were large enough for the whole moon to reflect in them. After a moment her mouth started moving as if she wanted to speak but no sound came out. 

"Got somethin' for you to wear too," the older woman continued, completely unfazed. She threw the bundle over her shoulder down at Rinako's side. It unfurled itself slightly to show that it was a chocolate brown kimono decorated with white cranes. "Ryoichi said for you to wear this. Something about not wearing a kimono that smells like Sachiko or somethin'. I didn't really listen to him." 

Azarni was confused. Why did it matter if they _smelled_ like Sachiko or not? That was when her memories kicked in. She remembered Sachiko claiming that she could smell things others couldn't when she was playing ''demon''.

"That means that thing _is_ just like Sachiko's demon…" she breathed, chest tightening. 

The old woman looked at her like she was daft. "What crazy talk is that?" 

"You can't go!" Azarni continued, ignoring her. She reached over to touch Rinako but stopped when her friend didn't even turn to look at her movement. "I remember all that Sachiko used to babble on about. It…isn't safe…"

"This whole place isn't safe," Rinako finally spoke up, her voice miles away. "But maybe…" she stopped, shaking her head. She seemed to come back to herself as she turned to face the woman. "How soon do I have to go?"

"After dinner and you're dressed." 

Rinako nodded resolutely, turning almost mechanically back to the table and picking up her chopsticks. She stared blankly down at the rice. 

"Rinako…" Azarni pleaded softly.

Rinako looked up at her. Azarni noticed that her eyes were shining with fear. "It's not like I can just say no…" 

Azarni nodded, staring down at her own food with a burning sense of dread. This was all becoming such a nightmare…

*

__

This can't be happening. This can't be happening. No way in hell_ this is happening… _Those thoughts kept running through Rinako's head like a whirlwind as the old lady who'd brought dinner nearly pushed her down the hallway towards the back of the palace. Rinako was glad that she hadn't eaten much of her dinner. She was sure it would have been up and on the floor by now. There seemed to be butterflies with steel wings flying around in her stomach… 

The sun was just starting to set now, casting thick beams of light across the paper walls. A few managed to through some of the open windows to spread what should have been a cheery shine across the dark polished floor. Little puffs of dust rose to dance slowly in the glow. A few servants in kimono moved past them, openly staring. It all painted a picture of a time long ago. And Rinako would have loved to be here.

Except for the fact that she was a prisoner. And that she was now on her way to a _demon_. 

It felt like forever until the woman forced her to halt before a thick door. The whole way there Rinako kept looking around for Ryoichi or maybe even that Yayoi person. Someone who could stop this. But no one of importance showed his or her face. There were only the scuttling servants who were there and then gone a second later like insects. And there was no chance to run. The lady behind her had a grip like steel it seemed. 

"Here we are," said woman grunted. She roughly pushed down on Rinako's arm and she had to kneel under the assault. To her surprise the woman came down beside her. She reached up slowly to tap on the door. "Sesshoumaru-sama. Your guest." 

Rinako drew in a quick breath. It felt as if her heart was going to pound through her ribs, it was pumping so hard. Thin trickles of sweat started to roll down the back of her neck, feeling cold in the draft in the hallway now that her hair had been pulled up in what the woman said was a respectful knot on the back of her head. Her knees quaked underneath her. 

The time it took until the door was open was an eternity. But as soon as it did Rinako felt her skin instantly turn cold. She glanced up in spite of herself. 

"Hello, Rinako," a rather familiar young man stated, giving her the beginnings of a smile. 

"Ryoichi…" she breathed. Her shoulders sagged. "I thought—"

"That Sesshoumaru-sama wanted to see you?" he finished, his voice becoming oddly quiet. 

Rinako nodded slowly, feeling her shoulders knotting up again. "Yes…"

"Well he does."

The young woman stared up at Ryoichi, wishing that she were standing. "But…but what are you…?" 

"Tori."

That cold voice cut through Rinako like a knife. She froze instantly, wanting nothing more than to inch backwards. 

The man in the doorway turned slightly and bowed. His expression was unnaturally stiff. "Hai, Sesshoumaru-sama. Forgive me." Turning back to Rinako he held out a hand. "Come along now." 

Rinako stared at the proffered hand as if it would bite her. This was it…he was right in the other room. She'd heard him. That…creature was right there behind a paper wall…

Ryoichi jerked his hand a few times. "Come _along_ now, Rinako-san," he repeated tightly, giving her a strained smile. Rinako snapped out of her little funk, hesitantly raising her hand to grasp his. There was nothing she could do to stop this. Maybe if she were good enough she'd live through it… 

As soon as her hand touched his Ryoichi had her on her feet. Dismissing the woman who still knelt, he escorted Rinako inside and closed the door. Rinako immediately shut her eyes, not wanting to see the demon right away. She wasn't ready… 

There wasn't a sound in the room. Her curiosity getting the better of her Rinako slowly opened her eyes, taking in the chamber. It was gorgeous, with painted walls and breathtaking calligraphy scrolls. There was a wide futon underneath the one window that was perfectly made. There wasn't even a wrinkle. There were cabinets like the ones in her room, except that these were better made and were coated heavily with shellac. But despite the beauty it appeared as if no one actually _lived_ here. It was more like a museum than a room someone was actually staying in. Sure, it had only been a day, but shouldn't there at least be _some_ sign of life? A wrinkle in the bedding from something being placed down on it? Maybe even a door that hadn't been shut all the way? 

How about someone actually _in_ the room? Glancing around in what she hoped was a discreet manner, Rinako could see no sign whatsoever of the demon. He just wasn't there. 

__

What, is he invisible_ or something? _

That thought sent a thrill of fear down her spine and Rinako went to turn and glance longingly at the door. Ryoichi stopped her, turning her to face away from the bed and drawers to the open door on the other side of the room. That's where she found her unexpected host, standing out on the veranda with his back to both of them. He didn't even turn as Ryoichi gently pushed her forward although Rinako could have sworn that his ear twitched slightly. 

"Here she is, Sesshoumaru-sama," Ryoichi stated stiffly, his hold on her arm tightening. Rinako went to look at him but found that she couldn't take her eyes off of the white-clad creature in front of her. Oddly enough, some small part of her mind told her that the sight of his back, with its long hair rippling lightly in the light evening breeze, was vaguely familiar. 

Rinako was about to think that on some off chance he hadn't heard Ryoichi speak when suddenly he had spun around and was facing her. The setting sun reflected off of the one sword at his side, making Rinako take a step back almost involuntarily. Molten gold eyes watched her intently but she couldn't tell what was behind them. Rinako expected for her heart to start pounding in fear again but for some reason it was still. The situation was almost surreal, with a little voice whispering in her mind. _You know him…_

"Rinako-san," he greeted at last with a placid tone. Rinako felt Ryoichi immediately tense up beside her, inadvertently jerking her arm. 

"S—Sesshoumaru-sama…" she managed to squeak out, trying to bow properly but Ryoichi's hold stopped her. She lifted her eyes to look at him and saw that Ryoichi wore an expression of pure shock on his face. Confused and starting to become afraid Rinako lifted her gaze back to the creature in the doorway and saw that the gold eyes were now pinned on Ryoichi. If possible the demon looked displeased. 

"Tori." The tone was an obvious warning. 

And Ryoichi noticed it. The hand on her arm disappeared and he stammered. "Of course, S-Sesshoumaru-sama." 

Rinako felt very alone now without the feel of Ryoichi's hand on her arm. She might as well be standing before the demon alone…

She almost fainted at Sesshoumaru's next order. "Leave us." 

Ryoichi spluttered to life beside her. "I…She…" he trailed off, falling silent. "As you wish it," he finished, sounding defeated. Rinako could only stand like a petrified tree as Ryoichi's footsteps sounded against the wooden floor, drawing farther and farther away from her… 

She almost had a heart attack when the door clicked shut behind him. 

Thick silence fell like fog between the two occupants of the room. Rinako kept her eyes focussed on the floor, not daring to look up. She felt eyes on her, studying her almost like a specimen under a microscope. Never in all her life had she ever wanted to disappear more than this moment. Her legs shook and her palms were cold and clammy. Her mind was blank, only focussed on uncomfortable fear. 

The examination felt as if it took ten times longer than the previous one that day on the stairs. But at last he spoke. "Come outside with me," there was a millisecond of a pause that could almost be hesitation. "Rinako-san." There wasn't really an ordering tone to his voice. Actually it was rather plain, not cold _or_ commanding. Just a simple statement. Yet Rinako assumed that it was pretty much an order. 

Swallowing to try to soothe her newly dry throat she took a few hesitant steps forward before looking up. He'd moved to the side in the doorway as if to make room for her to pass, watching her approach. Rinako felt vaguely like a model on the runway. 

Her feet were like iron as she moved ungracefully forward. Her shoes clunked far to loudly on the wood, her breathing was like an elephant gasping for breath. Rinako noticed a faint chill in the air that she didn't think was the wind. It seemed to creep over her skin as if testing for something. She hadn't really paid attention to it when Ryoichi had been there but it was strong now. Yet as she moved closer to the demon before her the feeling seemed to fade away, melting into something that seemed almost…accepting. This change in the atmosphere caused her heart rate to start to slow down. By the time she came upon the door she felt a bit less terrified than before. 

When Rinako placed one foot on the threshold the demon beside her turned and moved out on the veranda. Rinako followed. There was a tatami mat only steps away and he made a sharp gesture towards it. Rinako sat obediently. There was silence as she looked out over the surrounding garden. It stretched back a fair distance towards a line of trees behind which rose the side of a mountain. She couldn't tell exactly how far back the stone was, but it was close enough to enclose the area. The garden itself had a few large maple trees, a few willows, and a row of what she supposed were cherry trees. There was a pond and flowerbeds, all of which were cast in the glow of the sun that was peaking over the mountain wall. It was a majestic sight that would have been perfect if it weren't for the creature standing just behind her. 

There was a whisper of silk behind her and white appeared in the corner of her eye. Rinako tensed. A bird called out in the distance, it's cry seeming to echo through the stillness of the night. 

"Who are you?" 

Rinako's whole body jerked as she was taken by surprise. But it wasn't the voice that frightened her, just the abruptness. There was nothing daunting in his tone any longer. It was nothing more than a simple statement.

__

What does he mean by that? Rinako's brow furrowed in thought but she dared not turn to face him. Yet, apparently, her confusion was shown through her silence because he elaborated. "Tell me about yourself." 

Rinako blinked, finally understanding. Then her heart started to pound. _Wait a minute…why does he want to know about _me_? _

Then, as an afterthought:_ And why had he called me by that little girl's name? _

"A-about me?' she stammered, hands clutching the thick material in her lap. She heard him move behind her again and she felt the hairs on the back of her neck jump up. She wished he wouldn't stand out of her line of sight like that. It was like she was being hunted… But she forced down the need to get up and run. She was going to get this figured out.

"Yes." 

There really was nothing else she could do, was there? Here she was on an outside porch with an expanse of clear garden ahead of her. In any other circumstance she would have made a run for it. Yet she wasn't about to forget the ice-cold demon with _two_ swords that stalked behind her. Certainly he could _throw_ one of those things at least, even if he didn't run after her. She'd seen it done in movies and she wasn't about to think that something _that_ simple couldn't happen, considering what had happened to her. 

Besides, what trouble would it be to talk about herself? He knew her name already. Might as well give him her birthday, address, and telephone number. In case he wanted to call her. Maybe even tell him her doctor so he could send a card after her upcoming heart attack. 

__

You're loosing it. She warned herself silently. As if it wasn't obvious enough. 

But not only that. 

She was trapped. Completely. 

Not knowing what else to do, Rinako heaved an inaudible defeated sigh before starting her story. "My full name is Mirawase Rinako."

Sesshoumaru half-leaned against the paper walls of the house—he didn't trust it with his full weight—and watched the young woman who knelt on the mat. Her shoulders were set under the material of her kimono and he could smell and even taste her fear. It was obvious to even a most asinine of observers that she was uncomfortable, let alone terrified. 

Yet the very fact that she could sit with her back to him as he had arranged was a lofty feat indeed. 

Something only Rin would have been able to do. 

Golden eyes narrowed in half-suspicion, Sesshoumaru studied the girl even more intently than he had done earlier, trying to see exactly what made him remember that long-dead girl. 

Never having been one to dream beyond the bounds of what he knew to be possible, as well as probable, the taiyoukai would have normally dismissed this idea as nonsense. Except for the fact that he never doubted his instincts. And they were telling him that, on some level, this Rinako was Rin. 

He was a creature of routine. That was how most youkai were; it was a sign of long years. And to his instincts, even to his own mind now, the routine was to have that little human child running about his feet. And now he was here, almost as if he had not been dead in the first place. (Sesshoumaru would have easily claimed that he hadn't been killed, except for the small fact that when he had awoken the whole world had changed.) And that little girl, that major player in his habits, was gone. Simple vanished. 

Granted, the toad was gone as well but for a reason that he could not fathom—nor did he wish to—Sesshoumaru found himself more disturbed by the missing child. Perhaps it was because she had been such a recent addition? 

Whatever the reason…he could not lie to himself and say that the young human in front of him was not fascinating at the very least. Such falsehoods were not the way of the lord Sesshoumaru. And so, yes, he _was_ curious. This whole new era interested him just as much as it disgusted him. 

A bird cried out in the garden and Sesshoumaru inadvertently lifted his head to search out the sound. Hmm… he had not heard that creature for some time…

The taiyoukai mentally scolded himself for his inattention. Ridiculous, getting distracted so…

But that was what this girl was doing to him… 

How could one look so much like one long since dead? This human…her face bore much of the same shape as that little girl had, although now it had lost a great deal of its childishness, the sign of a human bearing more years. Yet he had noticed other differences. Subtle things simple humans would never detect; the width of the nose, thickness of eyelashes, certain facial blemishes. Her chin was rounder than Rin's had been, the mouth not as wide. Her ears were more oval than round, her hair was a shade or two darker and of a finer texture. Small details that sometimes a youkai needed to rely upon when the time came to claim their property. 

And then there was her scent. An inuyoukai's olfactory memory was the last memory to fail even after thousands of years. Or in this case, it was the very first to return. He had known at once that the earth reeked of foul things he had not known even before he had truly remembered who he was. For places, people, even times were categorized and engraved in all their complexity in the forefront of his mind. 

Therefore, there was no mistaking that this Rinako held a scent similar to Rin's…but not quite. Rin had always been buried in the scent of a multitude of wildflowers and the smell of sun-touched skin. Underneath that, however, had lain a sweet odor just bordering on saccharine. Somewhat similar to her own flower one could suppose, although Sesshoumaru did not generally enjoy thinking so poetically. Poetry was for those whom had the time and useless, unneeded wit to spare. 

There had also been the slow decay and bitter perspiration that every human reeked of. No matter how many fields the child had run through, no mater how much his own scent had rubbed off on her, that debasing stench had never disappeared… 

But now…this Rinako. Sesshoumaru focussed his attention on the young woman before him, who remained still with her gaze fixed into the middle distance. She was holding up rather well under the unintentional test of strength and patience. Although her fear was still the utmost sense about her. Either to the olfactory senses or just plain visual. After that was a layer of some astringent _substance_ he seemed to notice on all of the creatures around here. Whatever it was, it stung the back of his throat whenever he breathed too much of it in and it seemed to tear into the fine nasal cavities his sense of smell relied upon. It was starting to become rather tedious, trying to fight off the constant irritation this acidic stench caused to his sinuses. Add that to the reek of humans that the wind was always full of…it was enough to make him wish he did not have such a strong ability. 

Yet, underneath the acidity, just above the human decay, there was a ground scent. One that was sweet, just bordering on saccharine. A saccharine tinged with a sense of dankness, of captivity. The scent of a trapped flower. 

Sesshoumaru inadvertently frowned. Someone who was so similar to that carefree child should not have such a feeling associated with her. Rin was a wild little thing; not someone caged down as this Rinako apparently was. 

But what chained her so? 

His curiosity getting the better of him—much to his ultimate dismay—Sesshoumaru posed a question to the young woman, asking, in a sense, what he truly wished to know. Who was she?

When she did not answer directly, he unwittingly indulged her in an elaboration. He barely comprehended that he was being overtly lenient, as her fear was stirred up again and that captured his attention. 

Rinako fell into silence. 

As she continued to stare out into the darkening sky Sesshoumaru began to reconsidered the honor he had given her. It was not often that he addressed anyone, omitting his fellow youkai lords, with formality. Especially a human. 

Yet that was one manner of cajoling information from a weaker creature without harm. Fool it with a false sense of respect. It was a skill his father had taught him years ago, although Sesshoumaru had not indulged in mind and wordplay often. It was degrading, having to wheedle those weaker than you. 

However, as he had awaited her presence, Sesshoumaru had believed that such a tactic would work. And, oddly enough, he had found it much less troublesome to treat her so than he had at first predicted. But now it seemed that such honor was completely unfounded, even on false terms. Was the woman mute? Was it truly that difficult to comprehend such a simple task? 

Even as he thought this something pulled on his senses and Sesshoumaru looked up at the line of sky he could see between the edge of the roof and the peak of the distant mountains. He sniffed once, letting his senses play with the atmosphere around him, before becoming thoughtful. 

It was going to rain soon… 

Did it still rain in this time then? True water? Or that poison he sensed in the atmosphere? 

Perhaps it did. The earth was changed after all; he could feel it... It was wounded, it seemed… 

"My full name is Mirawase Rinako."

Sesshoumaru blinked, his senses reeling in like a whip. In such surprise was he that he even turned to face the human woman who knelt at his side. 

When had he forgotten about her? 

Biting back an accusative growl, he silently berated himself. Truly pathetic, this newfound wanderings of his. Especially now, when he needed his full awareness. No one here was trustworthy, even in the slightest degree. Not even that mongrel tori was unsuspicious. 

And here he was, the great lord Sesshoumaru, allowing his attention to wander after _rain clouds_. How debasing. And aggravating. No matter how much he worked on his focus it did not seem to be working. Something that came so naturally was escaping him…truly pathetic. 

"I am eighteen now. I lived in Tokyo all my life…but I don't have any siblings."

"I attend Tokyo University…but I don't think you'll know what that is," Rinako angled her head to hopefully see behind her but all she could see was her own hair. Cursing inwardly she fumbled around in her mind for something else to say. "It's a school. An expensive school. I haven't even been there a full year yet and…well. I can't really be going now, can I?" 

She tried a fake laugh but found that her throat was far too dry. She swallowed harshly. There wasn't a sound behind her but she knew he was still there simply by the fact that she still wanted to run. 

"Err…" she flounder for something to say. What could he possibly want to know about her anyway? " Well…I'm…I was taking courses in nursing. I want to be a nurse when I grow up, like 'Kaa-san." 

Just thinking about her mother made Rinako's chest tighten. It hadn't been that long ago that she had died. Two years. And ever since then…she'd felt empty. Like something was missing. Sure, 'Kaasan had always been extremely busy at the hospital and oftentimes she had found herself home alone and waiting, but Rinako couldn't help but love the woman anyway. She had been the only family Rinako had had… excluding Azarni and her parents, but that just hadn't been the same. 

The young woman looked down at her hands, clasped firmly in the folds of a rich kimono skirt. She couldn't help but wonder what her mother would do now if she knew where her daughter was. Would she be trying to save her? Perhaps, if she had a home to go to then someone would have noticed her missing…

Or would she had noticed at all…

Rinako gasped softly as something cold landed on her entwined fingers. Focussing on the present instead of the past, she noticed the small drop of water that slid down the back of her left hand. It was soon followed by another. Rinako bit her lip as soon as she realized that she was crying. The tears were creeping down her face like cold fingers, reddening her skin as they fell. She hesitated a moment before slowly raising one hand to try to push them away. 

A voice stopped her.

"Why do you weep, human?"

The young woman felt a shudder run through her and she almost choked on the lump that formed in her throat. "Because I'm lonely…" she whispered in a crackling voice. She closed her eyes, trying to dam the tears but the little traitors slipped through her eyelashes. 

She just couldn't keep it in any longer…

The voice spoke again, nearer this time as if he was leaning over her. "What are you speaking of? How can you be 'lonely'?" He actually sounded generally curious, the curiosity taking away the normal biting tone she had heard before. So much so that for a minute she forgot who it was. And she actually thought that he cared.

So she told him. 

Azarni hadn't been able to understand. Rinako had tried, those few years ago, to talk to her best friend. But it had been a lost endeavor. A few uncomfortable words of sympathy had been all that Azarni had been able to give her. 

That was because Azarni didn't know what it was like to grown up without a father. To not even know whom the man _was_. Azarni didn't have a mother who nearly had to work herself to death to support you. She didn't understand what it was like to have to come home to an empty house and wait. To never be able to do things other kids could because it was too expensive, to not have things other kids did. To have your mother miss your important play at school. To have to hitch a ride after school because 'Kaa-san had to work late. 

To love the woman anyway despite the faults.

Sure, Rinako had gone over to Azarni's house many days during the week to have a sort-of home environment. And she had had fun with the other girls. She'd been able to do a few things other kids could do with the Yamashita family. But that wasn't the same, especially when she had to walk home some afternoons to her small apartment and find her mother still at work. Being in the bustle of the Yamashita hadn't made her forget what she was missing with her own 'Kaa-san. 

"And now she's gone. And I miss her. And I mourn all the time we weren't able to spend together. And now I have no family left…I'm alone." 

Rinako drew in a quavering breath as tears continued to track down her face. She opened her eyes slowly and saw the blurry image of a railing in front of her. She was bewildered for a long moment before she remembered where she was. 

And who she was with. 

Rinako felt her heartbeat speed up to an alarming rate as she panicked. Her hand fell from her lap to search for the ground in order to push herself up. She didn't want to be here anymore. What was she thinking, getting lost in her thoughts as she'd done? It was so dangero—

Her thoughts trailed off when her fingers touched silk. Glancing down she found her fist clutching a shimmering white fabric that lay spread over the tatami mat that she knelt on. With a feeling of dread welling up inside her gut Rinako's eyes slowly trailed up the white fabric to notice that part of it was draped over a leg clad in a pure white hakama directly beside her. 

Almost on instinct Rinako looked up and noted the long curtain of ivory hair that lay like spilled liquid around the demon's shoulders. And that his eyes were closed, his expression calm. And that his skin seemed to shine in the last vestiges of the sun… 

That, and the fact that he was right _next_ to her. 

Before she could fully panic the demon seemed to realize that she was looking at him. He opened his eyes, turning his head slightly to look at her. They were still cold, impersonal, but for some reason Rinako couldn't explain, it didn't scare her. She just continued to stare at him, not really understanding anything. Only that there was a tiny part of her that was trying to tell her something…but she just couldn't hear it. 

"You are finished now, Rinako-san?" Such soft words…words that made that little voice start to shout louder. But Rinako just couldn't understand what it was telling her…

"Hai…" she breathed. 

Her mind was lost... All she could do was stare at the white vision beside her and wonder…_Did I really just pour my heart out to _him? This specter of austerity, of coldness…of death.* To this barren yet beautiful devil. Rinako couldn't help but notice how everything about him seem to gleam in the dying light. Or how his eyes, despite their coldness, reflected the sun like it was their own inner light. The shine of an animal's eyes…but it was still beautiful.

The two stared at each other in silence, one in awe and the other thoughtful. The taiyoukai looked away after a time, gazing up at the dark-blue sky. Only to be disappointed to see no stars yet. At least no stars in their full glory, as he had known them. There were only faint little lights behind the cloudy sky. 

His movement awoke Rinako from her stupor. "Why?" The young woman broke the silence with a trembling, feeble voice.

Her only answer was silence. 

Rinako followed his gaze upward towards the sky, wondering what held his interest so.

She, too, was disappointed by the lack of stars. 

"A soul such as yours should not feel such pain." 

Rinako whirled to face the demon beside her. He did not look at her, keeping his gaze fixated on the darkness above. She stared at him openly until her eyes narrowed in thought. A certain name came to mind then, an image of her own. 

"I remind you of someone, don't I?" 

Silence. Long strands of pristine hair blew between them, whirling like spider-threads in the wind. Rinako could have sworn that it made his face look softer. 

"Sesshoumaru-sama?" 

The demon beside her closed his golden eyes. "You may go now." 

Rinako didn't know what to feel. On one side she was happy to have a chance to leave the frightening demon behind. But the other…it did not find him frightening. Actually, it felt a sort of _closeness_ to him…. He _had_ listened to her after all…. 

Rinako hesitated.

"I do not repeat myself, Rinako-san." 

Swallowing the lump in her throat Rinako bowed low. "Arigatou gozaimasu, Sesshoumaru-sama."

The demon acknowledged her leave-taking with only a stiff nod. Rinako rose to her feet slowly, watching him as she did so. He didn't move an inch the whole time, even when she hesitated at the doorframe. 

It was then that the young woman perceived something, seeing his stark-white profile contrasting so sharply with the lacquered woodwork and the dark garden beyond. He was so out of place. Not only physically, but mentally as well. A being from an ancient time thrown into her world. And, she supposed, he had to be as lost as she was. If not more so. 

And she pitied him for it. 

"Oyasumi gozaimasu," she whispered, kindly, before stepping into the room beyond. She crossed the room without looking back, lost in thought.

Yet, as she left the room and stepped out into the hallway, Rinako realized something that made her freeze. Somewhere in the span of a few minutes, she had somehow stopped seeing that monster…as a monster. 

- 

"Oyasumi gozaimasu."

Turning his head slightly, Sesshoumaru watched the girl leave. He waited, listening to her footsteps along the wooden floor of his room until the door was pushed open and then closed again. 

When she was gone the taiyoukai faced the sky again, which was slowly darkening into night. Sniffing almost unconsciously, he caught her scent as it faded away from the mat beside him. He looked down to where she had been and allowed a thoughtful frown to mar his normally stoic expression. 

There was no doubt now. As soon as the young woman had began to speak to him, telling him such thoughts and emotions that was normally left for close confidantes, he had noticed that her trapped scent had evaporated. And in its place was left a fragrance unmistakably…Rin's. 

And, strangely enough, what he had told her was true. 

His Rin did not deserve such pain. 

Reincarnated or not. 

*

Natsuko tapped her fingers restlessly against her jean-clad thigh, glancing around the elevator almost guiltily. The other two people in there with her, both women, didn't seem to notice her nervous jitters. 

But that didn't mean that Natsuko had to put up with them. 

She willed her fidgeting to stop and soon her fingers stopped and curled into the material of her jacket. Unconsciously, the young woman looked up to the ceiling, where she knew a security camera had to be. She didn't like it being there. It set her on edge.

Although she happened to forget that she wasn't doing anything wrong. She worked here! She was allowed to ride in the elevator. Sure, she hadn't been to work yesterday, but she was allowed to take a day off once in a while, right? 

__

And besides, she reminded herself, _that camera can only see what's on the surface. You certainly don't look like a cat now. _

Natsuko went back to her nervous fidgeting, this time with her foot tapping on the steel floor of the lift. The young brunette next to her sent her an annoyed look. Natsuko glared back. She was about to open her mouth to give that little bitch a piece of her mind when the elevator gave a dainty ding. 

Looking up at the numbers overhead Natsuko realized that it was her floor and she pushed past the woman to exit the elevator. But not before stepping on the bitch's foot. 

It was a familiar hallway, white-washed to the very trim. The floor was made up of dusky gray tile. All in all it was a rather drab sight. Natsuko never did understand why medical facilities had to be so severe. A bit of color in life sure helped a lot.

Swinging her briefcase as she walked Natsuko took the same old path down the hall, around the corner, and then stopping before a door like any other door in the hall. Not even bothering to knock she opened it and went in.

It was an office with a desk to one side and cases of books on the other. Multiple doors lined the wall behind the desk, each one closed tight at such a late hour. It wasn't a very clean office though. There were books scattered across the desk and a few old scrolls were tucked into a half-open drawer. But it _was_ neater than usual…

Stepping into the room Natsuko plopped her briefcase on a small space of clear desk near the desk-light. Leaning over the edge she started to push the disorderly books into some semblance of a straight pile. 

"Sensei?" 

There wasn't a reply. Sighing dramatically Natsuko circled the desk and approached one of the closest doors. Rapping sharply on the white surface with her knuckles Natsuko called through the wood. "Oi! Sensei. What the fuck you doin' that you can't come see me? You _insisted_ that I be here on time, you know!" 

Just as she was about the hit the door again her target was gone and in it's place stood a short man wearing a skewed lab coat. There was a multitude of papers jammed in his pockets, anything from old spell papers to pages ripped from the encyclopedia. His glasses sat on top of his disheveled black hair. He glared up at her through bleary brown eyes, his heavy-set face looking tired and annoyed. "Care to be more polite next time, Natsuko?" 

The young woman made a face, stepping back into the office. "And I'd suggest you brush your teeth soon, sensei. You're breath is enough to fell a youkai!" 

As expected, Natsuko was able to get away with that shot for as soon as she mentioned 'youkai' all other thoughts fled his mind. The doctor came into the office and closed the door behind him, an almost eager look on his face. He looked like a kid waiting for candy. 

"So, did it work?" 

Natsuko snorted, blowing some of her hair out of her face. "What the fuck d'ya think, sensei? Why else would I be here at this ungodly hour? I usually work day shift, remember?" 

His tired eyes were alive instantly. "So…you're saying that we now have a full-fledged youkai in our midst?" 

Natsuko nodded, moving over to where she'd set her briefcase. "Yep. It was a sight, when he popped out of the ground. A big fucker of a dog, I tell you." 

The young woman held out her files to the doctor who grabbed the case from her instantly. He anxiously pulled out the papers as Natsuko explained. 

"Some are only sketches. I couldn't exactly have a camera, y'know. Yayoi would've noticed pretty damn quick. And I don't think the taiyoukai would have liked being blinded by a flash. Might've bit my head off." 

The doctor made a few half-hearted nods as he backed towards his desk. Using one hand he felt around for the rolling chair before sinking down into it. Pushing the books Natsuko had recently arranged to the side with a hasty shove he spread the files over the desk. Staring up at the ceiling were now two detailed sketches of Sesshoumaru, in both forms. 

"Wonderful…" he breathed, eyes glued to the drawings. "Male or female?"

Natsuko rolled her eyes at his narrow-mindedness. "Definitely male. Hard not to notice after he de-transformed nude…" 

Sensei only raised an eyebrow at that comment as he moved on to the next of the papers, setting the sketches aside in plain view. He scanned the new sheets. "So detailed. I appreciate your reporting on the event, Natsuko." 

The woman shrugged, leaning on the edge of the desk. A self-satisfied smirk crossed her pretty face. "I try." 

The doctor frowned suddenly before rereading a passage. "Humans?" 

Natsuko nodded slowly. "Yeah…we have two of them now…"

"And he saved them? That isn't consistent with the scrolls…" 

The woman shrugged again. "I don't have much t' tell ya on that point, Sensei. I didn' read 'em. But from what I've seen of him with my own eyes…he's very inconsistent." 

The doctor took a minute to glance up from pulling out a new set of files when she said that. "Oh? How so?" 

Natsuko shook her head slowly. "For one thing, compared to those humans, he treats _us, _supposed youkai descendants, like shit. You know that 'I-am-so-high-and-mighty-and-have-a-royal-stick-up-my-ass' kinda person. At least from the little bit of exposure I've had with him," the woman involuntarily shivered. "It's so fuckin' creepy to be near him…There's always this coldness in the air that gives me chills…

Sensei let the notes in his hand flutter to the desktop like dead leaves as he focussed his full attention on her. "What do you mean by that?"

"Well," Natsuko started hesitantly, looking down at the papers he had dropped. "Yayoi knows what it is. She took us near the youkai to feel 'it'. Me and Ryoichi, that is. You remember him, right?" At the doctor's absent nod the woman continued. "Well, as we got closer the 'feeling' came. It was like ice was being rubbed all over my skin. Or maybe even cold fingers were grasping at me…'cause after a while I could feel it pushing at me. Almost as if it wanted me to go away…"

"But what _is_ 'it'?" 

"Ryoichi tried to explain it. He said it was a sort of demonic energy. He called it youki, and—"

Sensei jumped to his feet with his hands pressed flat on his desk, smothering the notes Natsuko had painstakingly taken. He leaned towards her, eyes shining. "_Really_? The scrolls mentioned that exact word. Only once, nearer to the end." His face became thoughtful. "So that's what it warned us of…and you've felt it?" His eyes pinned on her again. 

Natsuko took a hasty step back at his closeness, an uneasy expression on her face. "Yeah…but it wasn't a happy moment. It fuckin' creeps me out. And, wait a minute…" she scowled at him even as her hands shook nervously. "Those damned scrolls _warned_ you of this youki thing?"

The doctor waved off her worry with a flick of the wrist. "Nothing you have to be worried about. Just that it's there and if not under control, it can be somewhat…overwhelming. But we aren't exactly dealing with a feral youkai here, now are we?" He shot her a sly glance as he turned once more towards the papers, picking them up and shoving them back into their envelope.

"So, you're saying that since we're dealing with a big shot here, we don't have to worry?" Natsuko asked, her tone edging on doubtful. 

"Exactly."

"But then why did Yayoi and Ryoichi start acting so weird…?"

Sensei shrugged, turning his back to Natsuko to put the file into the cabinet behind him. "Nothing, really. Just their reactions to being closer to pure blood. That's all. Same reason you get cold when you're near the source. Remember that I told you it might be a bit strange at first. " 

Natsuko stared at his slightly hunched back, trying to read into his tone. Something seemed missing in that explanation…his tone was a bit too bland… 

But before she could figure it out Sensei turned around and motioned towards the door beside the one he had entered from. "Come, let's do one more blood-test and see how you're doing. 

Natsuko sighed, before circling the desk to follow him. "I don't see why you bother. It isn't changing me or anything." 

The doctor only shrugged lightly before allowing her to pass into the room first before following and closing the door behind them. 

---

Done! 13 pages. And a month overdue… I am _awful_. _ 

Let's see if I can remember all of what I wanted to say here….

First, the *. That's so I can give you a little note about that line. I was watching _Yami no Matsuei _with Kits-chan a while ago and in the one "special" information "pop-up" episode (don't ask…) they mentioned the view those in the East have of white. I think I have it down correctly. (…-_- I probably messed _something_ up….) White is more related to death, which is different than the Western view (i.e. angels, purity). So I think that color sort of fits Sess-sama. The death outfit with the bloody-flowers…. Hmmm… Morbid, ne? 

I do not like parts of the Sess/Rin scenes. They seem soooo slow…then really fast… but I'm far too lazy to fix them. They get their points across, damn it. Good enough. 

That, and Sess was being a big bloody bastard in this one… and I had to inch my way through the Rinako-past-scenes. Blah. _ 

But, hey, I have a **_plot_** going now! Whoo hoo!!! 

Muse: ::lazily waves a sign that says [_'ay_…] on it…..::

-_-… My muse is against me… Figures…


	8. Future

**Memory of A Soul**

Ailian Rhys

Chapter Eight: Future

Ryoichi sighed, allowing his back to rest against the wooden support beam of the wall. He listened to the vague whispers of sound on the other side, the creak of wood, the shift of fabric. Sesshoumaru-sama was still moving about, after having dismissed Ryoichi out into the hall in order for him to leave the taiyoukai alone. 

Of course he hadn't put it into those terms. A simple "get out" was all that the young man had gotten from the ancient lord. Ryoichi could only _assume_ that he'd wanted to be alone; there really wasn't any other reason to shut out your retainer, after all. 

Ryoichi titled his head to touch the smooth wall, staring up at the wooden ceiling above. He listened to the faint movements behind him, moving to the left, then to the right, then back again. 

_Is he _pacing_?_ The young man wondered idly. Certainly not. Why would the great Sesshoumaru _pace_? 

Yet, how could the great Sesshoumaru also be interested in a human teenager? 

The answer, and evidence, for _that _question had been right before his eyes last night. Ryoichi frowned, recalling how he had been forced to leave the fearful girl alone with the taiyoukai. He hadn't wanted to go. He probably would have fought obeying that command if he had known he'd have _some_ minute chance of winning the fight. But there had been none. And so he had left, merely going down the hall and around the corner, where he had sat down as he was doing now and waited. He'd stretched his senses to their limit, barely picking up on the faint murmur of voices, like the buzzing of weak electronic equipment.

It had been an immeasurable agony, waiting like that. She'd stayed in there for nearly a full hour. He didn't know _how_ she could stand being with the taiyoukai for so long—his silence was very intimidating and oppressive when he wasn't even paying attention to you. Never mind when he was actually noting your presence. And for a young woman who was far beyond terrified to stay in his company for so long waswas _crazy_, inexplicable. 

Except for the notion that Sesshoumaru _may_ have actually taken toRinako. He _had_ called her Rinako-san, after all, which had been a forceful shock that'd almost knocked Ryoichi flat. The fact that he had shown respect to a pure human instead of those around him with youkai blood was baffling. But then again, the old lord wasn't exactly noted for being predictable. 

The young man sighed. It all seemed as farfetched as old fairytales.

Which had come trueand was pacing behind him in the other room. 

Ryoichi brought up a hand to rub at his throbbing temple, a grimace etched across his face. Gods, _why_ did he have to torture himself by thinking so much? Rinako had come out unharmed, although seeming a bit melancholy, and that was all he could ask for right now. 

Because, although Yayoi had yet to notice it, they were all starting their slide underneath the taiyoukai's influence, slipping like brainless slugs to fill out the ranks beneath him. It would not be long until he would be the real master of this house. That was just the type of persona he had, commanding, intimidating, and above all else, lordly. The kind of person who could make you obey with nothing but a glance. 

And Ryoichi wasn't going to do anything to stop it. He couldn't. It was one of the many consequences of their actions. What could they do, send him back when he became too much to handle? Not likely. It would take a grand feat of strength to kill someone like Sesshoumaru. One which they, the foolish humans that they really were, could never accomplish. 

Which was why, in hindsight, this whole idea was very, very stupid. 

The best thing he could do now was to make sure that Rinako and her friend stayed safe. But he couldn't even do _that_, especially if the taiyoukai kept asking for her to come alone to his chambers. 

It was in the midst of these melancholy thoughts that Ryoichi noticed that the movements in the next room had stopped abruptly and the whole atmosphere seemed to tense slightly. Lowering his head, the young man scanned the length of the hall. Only to fall upon a very familiar form rounding the corner.

"Oi! Ryo'chi!" Natsuko called as soon as she noticed that she had his attention. She even had the audacity to wave. 

Startled, Ryoichi only stared at her, before signaling frantically with his hands for her to shut up. He jerked his head back towards the wall behind him in warning.

But she kept coming, plodding along like some drunken horse wearing stone shoes. There was a shift in Sesshoumaru's aura again, drawing Ryoichi's attention instantly. 

It was amazing how fast he was becoming in tune with that youki. Perhaps it was because it was the only one for miles around—or perhaps that fact that he had tori blood and they were very sensitive to changes around them. Whatever the reason, he was finding it very helpful in keeping his skin _on_ his body, where it should be. 

Too bad Natsuko couldn't seem to note the change. 

"You should not be here," Ryoichi hissed at her, eyes narrowed. 

She simply ignored him, nearly running up to stop a few feet away. "Hey," she began, one hand planted firm on her hip. She wore the black hakama pants, but instead of the customary shirt, she was wearing a tank T-shirt with the word "devil" blazing across it in fiery letters. It was short enough for her belly button to show when she moved, revealing a tiny diamond navel ring. She had on a strange assortment of multiple hoops and dangling earrings and her usual red lip ring was in place.

Ryoichi couldn't help but stare at her, both in surprise and horror. "_What _are you wearing?" he whispered, moving to rise to his feet. 

Natsuko blinked at him, tilting her head so that her dark ponytail slid over her shoulder. "I just got back not too long ago from outside'." She made a vague quote motion in the air with her fingers, long nails catching the light. "I didn't really have time to change. And I think these pants are kinda comfy." To prove her point, Natsuko took a pinch of the fabric between two fingers and shook it, causing it to ripple. 

"But, what if he sees you? I really don't know how'd he react to seeing clotheslike that" Ryoichi didn't really know why he was getting so worked upshe was the idiot after all

And, anyway, it really wasn't as if they could keep the future from him forever 

Natsuko made a face at his worry. "I happen to think it's fuckin' sexy, myself." She shook her hips playfully, giving him a grin. Ryoichi felt his ears burn. "Give me a fuckin' skirt and I'd be able to turn anyone's head. Even hundred year old—"

"I do think you are flattering yourself." 

Both heads turned towards the bored voice behind them. Sesshoumaru stood in the doorway, his shimmering yellow eyes directed at Natsuko. He towered over both of them with sheer height alone, but, adding the attitude into the mix, it made Ryoichi feel like a microscopic piece of filth. He could have sworn that Natsuko flinched as well, drawing back a step. 

The taiyoukai gave her a haughty once-over. "Shameful." And then his eyes narrowed, taking in the many piercings. Taking a step forward, which Natsuko matched backwards, he raised a hand. In the blink of an eye his long fingers were holding Natsuko's chin firmly, one claw coming out to tap the ring in her lip. Natsuko looked as if she was going to faint. 

"Barbaric. This must be your human nature," he remarked airily, before using the hand on her chin to push her back against the wall. Natsuko paled and winced, her hands clenching and unclenching at her sides. 

Ryoichi didn't know what to do. His brain felt like mud in his head, his tongue thick and dry. One part of him wanted to step up there and help her. Yet, the other part of him wanted to run. So he compromised by standing there like a frozen idiot, his eyes wide enough to pop out of his skull. 

Sesshoumaru's expression didn't change even when the woman under his grip started to squirm. When she went to toss her head to the side he held her firm, nails digging lightly into her skin. After she was still again, he brought up one of his claws, sliding the very tip of it between the piercing and her lip. Natsuko whimpered.

"Is this what this future' you've spoken of has come to, tori?" he whispered, not even bothering to face the man he was addressing. Ryoichi felt his heart skip a full beat, but did not answer. "Self-mutilating moronic human sides overcoming the youkai instincts? It is humiliation beyond all imagination, that you have fallen so low. 

"And it could also be that neko youkai were never known for intellect." His voice changed drastically with that line, gliding from patronizing to a dark amusement that made Ryoichi shiver. While trying to overcome his fear, he took a minute step towards them. 

"Sesshoumaru-sama—," he began, not even attempting to keep the plea from his tone.

And, as he expected, the taiyoukai ignored him. He continued to stare evenly at Natsuko, who looked about ready to die; her eyes large and frightened, her whole body trembling even as she fisted her hands at her side. 

Sesshoumaru leaned forward suddenly, long hair sliding over to put a translucent shade before the two that shielded them from Ryoichi's view. He could see a few patches of Natsuko's skin and the sight of that claw against her lip, and that was about it. But he did hear the taiyoukai sniff lightly, before growling something that he couldn't quite catch. But whatever it was made Natsuko tense up like a steel rod and her breath to catch in her throat. 

And then the taiyoukai withdrew, using his arm to toss her as if she was a tiny rag doll instead of a full-grown woman. Natsuko landed on her side and slide for a few inches on her bare arms as her legs sprawled across the gleaming floorboards. She grimaced, trying to pick herself up while keeping one eye on the youkai whom had thrown her. 

He seemed to have lost all interest in her. Instead he slide his gaze over to Ryoichi, who had been about to move over to help Natsuko. "You will show me where I am to find Rinako." 

That stopped the young man short. "R-Rinako?" 

"Yes. I tire of all this. I will see her." If he could have Ryoichi was certain that Sesshoumaru would have crossed his arms over his chest arrogantly. Yet, with his lack of another arm, all he could do was lift his chin. But that had the desired effect. 

"Ahyes. Well, then, I'llI'll show you were she is then" Ryoichi cast a glance towards Natsuko, who was on her feet again. And she was scowling. 

"Yayoi sent me to bring you to her, taiyoukai-sama," she whispered, hoarsely, holding her right arm close against her side. Her hair had fallen loose from its tie, laying in thick untidy clumps over her face. She shook them back with a shake of her head, before staring unnerved at the youkai before her. 

Ryoichi went still, looking askance towards the taiyoukai to see what his reaction was. And to his all out shock, Sesshoumaru was growling. His fangs flashed dangerously in the light as he sneered at her. 

"I warned you once, wench," he spat. Yet his youki didn't rise at all, which startled Ryoichi. Was this anger at all, or simply intimidation? Whichever it was, it made Natsuko pale, yet she stood her ground. 

"I will deliver my message, taiyoukai-sama. Then my foulness will leave your distinct presence." Everything about her was uncharacteristically subdued with that last comment as she tried to pacify the angry youkai. 

Sesshoumaru only glared at her. 

Ryoichi decide it was time he actually do something useful. He cleared his throat lightly. "Sesshoumaru-sama. If you choose to answer Yayoi-san's request, I will see to it that Rinako is outside to meet with you when you are finished."

"It will rain." 

Ryoichi blinked, taken aback by the irrelevant, cryptic response. "Ahyes. Then I will set her up on the veranda. I am certain she will enjoy being outside even if it does rain."

Sesshoumaru turned then and Ryoichi did all he could not to jump as that eternally scrutinizing gaze fell on him. There was a pause, as it he was thinking. "You will go stay with her until the storm passes," he said at last. "Then you shall take her outside. I will speak with your Yayoi in the meantime." 

For the first time in that whole morning Ryoichi felt a tiny ray of light in his heart. "Hai, Sesshoumaru-sama." He bowed respectfully. He gestured down the hall. "Allow me to bring you to her. She is in—"

"The main room," Natsuko filled in with a raspy whisper. 

"Exactly." He flashed his eyes over the taiyoukai, checking to see fi he had everything. His eyes fell on the hilts of his two swords and his eyes widened. He'd _forgotten_ about those. 

Thank all the gods that he hadn't decided to use _those_ on Natsuko. 

Ryoichi couldn't help but look at Natsuko, who was dragging herself to the side of the hall, as he thought that. 

_Maybe_, he thought, as he allowed Sesshoumaru to lead them both down the corridor, _this will teach her to actually fear him now. _

Although he really didn't know how much good that would do for her now 

*

"Would you like some tea?" Yayoi asked politely from her position behind the low-legged table. 

There was no reply, as she'd expected. 

As the silence wore on she lifted her gaze to rest on the figure across from her. Sesshoumaru sat stiffly on the woven mat, his head turned towards the distant window. It was raining now; an earnest downpour that hit the roof mercilessly with a sound like hammers pounding on the wood. 

The young woman took this moment of distraction to look over her guest. Yayoi had to admit—she had never imagined him to be like this. Her mental image of the demon Sachiko had told her of had not been nearly thisbeautiful. Perhaps it had been due to the fact that she had never seen a picture of a youkai that she had given him a moresamurai appearance in her mind. But now she saw him for what he was, a resplendent, deadly entity. Almost like the storm that raged outside. 

Although the storm sitting in the room with her was much more composed than nature could ever be. 

Yayoi couldn't keep the smirk from forming on her lips and she lowered her head. To think that that spoiled Sachiko brat was really a taiyoukai. The idea was extremely bewildering. 

And yet it had been she, Tanaka Yayoi, who had discovered such a treasure. And now it was for her to keep it, to use its worth. 

She had plenty of ideas; all of them whirling in her mind like a windstorm. Yet, there was only one that she had openly proclaimed, only one that she had taken visible measures to make happen. 

And that was to use Sesshoumaru to reawaken the hidden blood in her veins. And, consequently, that of many others. 

Her family had, as legend told it, been on of the chief historians for the inuyoukai clans. And as such, her ancestors who had been aware of their heritage had kept a great many secrets of the past hidden away in a centuries old crypt. No one of Yayoi generation had known of the family treasure, the shelves and shelves full of ancient scrolls. 

Yayoi wouldn't even have known if it hadn't been for her great-grandmother. She had been far past what was considered human old age at the time of her death, crawling slowly into her one hundred and twentieth year. Yet, for as long as Yayoi had known her, even in that advanced age, she had insisted on going out to the family country home alone once a month. The year before she'd died, Yayoi, full of curiosity and even some concern at her frequent disappearances despite her fading health, had decided to follow her. 

And had discovered the family secret. For she had been the keeper of the vault, the supposed last of the line, since she had neglected to pass on the knowledge of the Tanaka family's heritage. She had told her, rather wistfully, that he had planned to seal the ancient library. She had been planning on doing so for a long time before that day, yet had never been able to bring herself to do it. 

There is a gold-mine of history here,' she had told her, sadly. History that was real, yet everyone now thinks to be naught but old fairytales. Without this room, and these scrolls, all of this _truth_ will no longer exist. It is almost as if I'd be leaving so many lives to die, to dwell forever in the darkness of the past.'

Yayoi felt a small ache in her heart at the thought of her Hiibaba. She had been the only member of her family she'd felt affection for, the only one that had seen her as more than just the youngest daughter of an affluent family. And she hadn't been able to bear seeing her so torn. 

So she'd volunteered to do it. She would be the next keeper of the scrolls and would allow the old stories to live for a little longer. Stories of which she really knew nothing about. 

And that was how she learned so much of the youkai. Now with a novice under her wing, Hiibaba had taken it upon herself to tell her _everything_ she knew. Which had been staggering. She had informed her of her one-eighth amount of demon blood and of her family's ancestral bloodline, tracing it back for over five hundred years to the reign of the last Inutaiyoukai, Sesshoumaru. 

Hiibaba had been so very passionate about these youkai tales, seeming to take them all to heart. It was, as she often said, her way of allowing the past to live'. 

And Yayoi had enjoyed them as well, first as merely stories any historian could concoct to make their facts more appealing to less zealous learners. Yet, after a time, she had come to wallow in them with a passion of her own. 

The youkai in the scrolls were so powerful, so awe-inspiring. They met their fates boldly, their fought their battles fiercely. And the greatest of them all, the ones that Hiibaba loved to speak of, kept their honor and pride far beyond a human's comprehension. 

These creatures that were part of her, these youkai, had depth while humans were shallow. They had strength when humans had weaknesses. They had immortality, adventure, absolute fear, and power. They hadn't known pain. 

It was more than a forgotten, last daughter could ever dream of. 

Certainly there had been darkness in these scrolls: betrayal, deception, death. And these youkai she'd idolized had been bloodthirsty, heavy-handed, and terribly relentless. 

But that hadn't mattered to her. 

She wanted their strength. She wanted to be more than human. She wanted to leave all of _that_ behind her. 

Yayoi wanted to be a youkai. 

And there her opportunity sat, a silent ghost watching the rain fall in a cascade over the outside veranda. 

Yayoi looked down at the tea set situated on the low table before her, taking in the sight of the delicate blue and green china. It had been a gift from Hiibaba years ago. She had never used it before, yet she had brought it with her. Only Sesshoumaru-sama should use such a gift. 

Hiibaba would have loved to meet him. 

"I was under the impression that you asked me here for a reason other than tea," the taiyoukai stated into the silence with a dry tone, taking Yayoi off-guard. 

Yayoi looked up just as he finally faced her and she met him eye for eye for a brief second before looking away. It was one thing to read about the Taiyoukai Sesshoumaru. It was another to actually be speaking with him. 

But she refused to be daunted. Not now. Not ever. 

She was going to come out on top of this. 

"Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama, I did," Yayoi replied smoothly, folding her hands demurely in her lap. "I assumed that there may be some question that you may wish to ask me. If there are, I will be more than pleased to answer—"

"How many years has it been?" He cut her off succinctly, not seeming to be interested at all in what she was saying.

"How many years since when, Sesshoumaru-sama?" she asked, quietly. "Your reign began? Naraku's defeat?" 

Yayoi was surprised to see his golden eyes narrow at the last sentence, the muscles in his shoulders visibly tensing. The agitation all disappeared shortly after, however, seemingly shoved aside like nothing more than an unwanted blanket. 

"So, that bastard has been remembered in thisfuture," he stated dully. Hard eyes stayed fixed on her. 

"Only to a historian such as myself, Sesshoumaru-sama," she told him, truthfully. She brushed off the eerie feeling of that gaze on her just as he had pushed away his emotions. "And I assure you, Inu no Taisho, that I find him as despicable as you do." 

Yayoi realized her mistake quickly enough, but not soon enough to fix it. Sesshoumaru glared at her with a gaze harder than ice as the atmosphere around them seemed to drop ten degrees. Something dark sizzled behind his eyes like lightening and it made her blood run cold. 

"Inu no Taisho." He repeated in a flat voice. And then, in a flash, he was over the table, long claws wrapped around her neck. Yayoi refused to squirm, even as her heartbeat escalated to an aching pounding in her throat and chest.

"Have I upset you, Sesshoumaru-sama?" she asked, politely. 

The taiyoukai openly snarled at her, taking her aback. "You are nothing but an infantile mixed-blood. Tarnished, disgusting. I will not have you _feeling_ as I supposedly do." He lifted her away from the wall before slamming her back again. "I claim no such _empathy_ with degrading mutts such as you are." 

"H-hai, Sesshoumaru-sama," Yayoi forced past the grip around her throat even as her lungs began to plead for air. Despite this, she only lowered her eyes politely. "I shall myself from now on." 

There was a moment of silence and then Yayoi was released. The woman fought to keep her legs underneath her, refusing to finger the tender skin at her throat. Drawing in a slow, steady breath, she lifted her gaze to see Sesshoumaru staring at the place she had been pinned before spinning about on his heel to circle the table—on which the priceless tea set still stood perfectly unharmed—and move towards the other end of the room. 

She hadn't missed the look up disgust on his sculpted face. It had come and gone almost like an imagined flaw in an envied masterpiece, that no one else would believe. Yet, the rigid set of his shoulders still remained, his whole body seeming on edge. 

Yayoi was very glad to have him on the other opposite end of the room then, even if she was determined not to be afraid. Something in all this seemed unbalanced. She really couldn't explain it, but decided it would be wise to remain silent for now. 

The whole air about her seemed to fluctuate at the Taiyoukai stood more like an ornamental statue than a living creature across the chamber. And then suddenly it reeled in, yanked forward at such a rate that Yayoi felt herself unconsciously leaning into the sensation forward. 

That was when she realized what it was. A fluctuation of power, sliding, twirling, scrapping against her senses. 

Yayoi shivered. 

It seemed so wild, so feral. Nothing like the composed creature that soon turned from staring at the distant wall, to focus outside of the window. He did not seem to notice her then, his attention caught by whatever he saw outside. 

Yayoi took that moment to cough, lightly, before answering the previous question as if nothing had happened. "It has been five-hundred years, Sesshoumaru-sama, since the Sengoku Jidai." 

There was silence. It stretched like an eternity between them, but Yayoi refused to lose patience. 

"That may explain it then," he said at last, so slowly that he seemed to be awakening as he spoke. But at last he turned to face her, his expression as deadpan as stone.

"Explain what, Sesshoumaru-sama?" Yayoi asked, trying hard to hide her confusion by coating it with a layer of politeness. 

Sesshoumaru's eyes sharpened with her tone; an invisible cloud seemed to lift, as they became fixated on her. But he said nothing of it, instead taking the moment to answer her question. "That brazen, wanton display of a nekoyoukai you allow in my presence." 

_Nekoyoukai? Does he mean_ "Natsuko?" Now she couldn't cover up her confusion. What had Natsuko done? 

Then it hit her. The woman had returned in modern garb. Yayoi had told her in no uncertain terms that she must change before delivering the message she'd been charged with. 

Apparently, she had not. 

"And why is it that, although one of you have changed with the times, others have not?" Those cutting eyes bore deep into her, making her want to squirm. "The earth has changed, the scents have changed. And, as I saw it, the people have changed. Yet you do not seem to have done so." 

Yayoi was taken aback by his perceptiveness. The one-eighth inuyoukai allowed her eyes to drift down to the china that still sat on the table, the tea she'd poured now a dark brown as it cooled. 

This was not how she wanted it to go. He had not even been here for three whole days and he had already discovered the outside world. And that they had been hiding it from him. 

How long would it be until he discovered the rest of how they kept him here? 

"Nothing not say to me, mutt?" Sesshoumaru spoke up suddenly, with a voice cold enough to freeze ice over. 

Yayoi's head snapped up and her eyes flashed. Her lips parted, but they did not form words. She forced them shut again, trapping her indignant anger back inside. 

Although proud, she wasn't an idiot. She could see that _something_ had the taiyoukai riled up today. He was on the edge of some hidden part of himself that Yayoi didn't want to contemplate. All she knew was that she wanted to calm him, soothe over the rough patches that had inexplicably formed on his crystal façade. 

And if it meant giving away one large secret, she would have to do so. Hopefully he wouldn't delve deep enough in her explanation to discover the truth behind the one thing that kept him trapped here. The magic barrier she'd told Ryoichi of. Having the taiyoukai learn of such a thing would be very detrimental to her health. 

"We have not changed here in order for you to be more comfortable, Sesshoumaru-sama," Yayoi started, cautiously, lifting her eyes high enough to see where the taiyoukai stood, fixing on his beaded shoes. "I did not believe you would be very accepting of our culture, especially thrown into it so quickly."

Her only reply was a frigid quiet. So she continued, allowing her eyes to drift up higher. "Many aspects of the world have been altered since your time period, Sesshoumaru-sama. You mentioned the different scents. I have not noticed most of them myself, being the weaker creature that I am," she tried not to choke on those words. "However, if you wished it of me, I would explain what they may be to you. 

"And yes, the people have changed—social customs have been altered, new fashions have developed and society as a whole has improved in many areas, becoming more civilized." 

"Civilized?" Sesshoumaru interrupted with a disdainful snort. "A better term would be barbaric." 

Yayoi inclined her head, uttering a small word of agreement, before continuing where she had been interrupted. At least he seemed to be listening"There are many large cities now, and much more technology now—a way to do many task through more mechanical means, instead of using physical labor. Technology was developed to make life much more easier forus." 

She paused, trying to find a way to phrase the next part as delicately as she could. She had an inkling that he would not be very happy. "There are not many youkai left" Yayoi stated, slowly. "Or perhaps none at all. For most of the world is made up of humans, ormutts like myself." 

Sesshoumaru's next words made Yayoi's eyes fly up to gaze at him openly in surprise. "I have already come to that conclusion." He actually appeared rather irritated to have to tell her that, his thin eyebrows drawn slightly. 

Yayoi blinked. "Have you now?" 

"The air reeks of humans," he informed her, disdainfully. Yayoi had the impression that he would have wrinkled his nose if the act had not been so undignified. "And I cannot sense any other youkai in this area, not even the weak, lowborn who spend their existences in the most undignified of guises." 

Yayoi knew what he meant by that, knowing that he referred to what many humans would only see as simple animals, despite their youkai blood. They were not powerful enough to have more than long lifetimes, or perhaps be used to serve their stronger brethren. They were also, unsurprisingly, the least likely to be hunted by a youkai exterminator and therefore lived out their long lives in some semblance of peace. 

"And to have such blood as there is tainted by such a large degree of human blood" he finished, bitingly. "It is all too apparent that we havefallen." 

"Fallen" Yayoi muttered, staring at nothing but the middle distance between them. To be so disgusted, she could vaguely understand. But did he really believe that, although mixed with the weaker species, there was still not a chance to rise up again? That it really wasn't over, as long as some of the essence remained? 

Or perhaps he wasn't thinking of the future at all. Yayoi's eyes focussed on the white-clad figure before her, her gaze trailing up and then down his lean frame. He had, after all, just been taken from his own present—at least before he had died—and thrown into what he considered the future, but was really _her _present. Of course he wouldn't be setting his sight far ahead, too busy becoming adjusted to now. 

It would be _Yayoi'_s job to plan out their upcoming steps, where they would go together to bring about her plans. 

And that, she realized, was exactly the position she wanted to be in. 

Then Sesshoumaru spoke. 

"I wish to see this outside world'."

Yayoi froze instantly, everything from her heart to her brain seeming to stop for that instant before resuming again. "Tosee it?" she asked, cautiously, feeling as dull-witted as a slow child. "Precisely what do you mean bythat?"

"I would think it to be rather obvious," the taiyoukai responded, bluntly, a tone that threw her stupidity right back into her face. "I wish to know this future' you have been prattling so incessantly about." 

It was in that moment that Yayoi realized something about the taiyoukai; interacting with him was _precisely_ like trying to speak with her elder siblings. Arrogant and proud to the point of smothering everyone else with their mere attitude. Wanting _this_, wishing _that_, basically stating what they should receive. Something that had disgusted her beyond all measures growing up. 

Yet, for the first time, she found herself not being put-off by that attitude. For some reason she could not fathom, Yayoi was _willing_ to put up with it from him. Somewhere inside her, she believed he _deserved_ the right. 

And, although her heart was all for it, something inside her mind was afraid. Yayoi did not cave in to others, no matter what demands they threw at her. She'd learned to fight against that long ago. But to do so now, when her _life_ depended on keeping this youkai restrainedshe couldn't. She wanted to give him what he demanded. Never mind the fact that he'd just physical threatened her, spoke down to her, and overall treated her very much akin to an imbecile. In that moment, she would have _instinctively_ followed through with his request. 

And that terrified her. 

And it was that fear that kept her quiet; long enough to fight down the insane urge to cave in. Yayoi fought her sudden weakness away, beating it back into the dark crevices of her heart where it had burst into its sudden ardent flame. She would not let anything from that region of her heart overcome her. 

He would _not_ have that affect on her. No matter how intoxicating he was

"I am sorry, Sesshoumaru-sama" Yayoi managed to force out after a pause. "That cannot happen"

"And why not?" he queried, darkly. "Have I not the right to learn the intricacies of where Inow reside? I am certain that cannot be found here." 

Yayoi forced a lock over that queer impulse from before, and then she felt free to finish the conversation. Drawing herself up, but keeping her eyes around the region of his chest, she answered. "Certainly, Sesshoumaru-sama. But it is not wise for you to do so now."

"And exactly how have _you_ come to that conclusion?" There was a faint growl beneath his words, showing that he was getting agitated again. "You, a _mutt_, believe you know what would be wise' for a personage such as myself?" Yayoi was startled when he finally moved away from the window, starting towards the door to the hall. "I tire of being patronized." 

Yayoi leapt to her feet, which earned her a quick glance from the taiyoukai. She ignored the warning in his gaze, too busy trying to stop what she knew was going to happen. 

He couldn't leave. Or, as the case would be, _attempt_ to leave. She knew where he was heading; he was going to leave the palace grounds. 

Which would not be very good for him to attempt, health wise. 

"You cannot leave the grounds!" Yayoi exclaimed, before she could shift her jumbled thoughts into some sort of order. He didn't even acknowledge that plea, pushing back the door. 

"There's a barrier around the perimeter. One attuned to your blood." 

That stopped the taiyoukai. Sesshoumaru was back in the room in a flash, mere inches away from Yayoi as his gleaming claws snagged her chin. "What." It wasn't a question, instead being more like a demand. 

There it was in the open now. Yayoi could have beat herself. But, foolish as it had been, she hadn't wanted him to find the barrier on his own. 

"Actually...it is not your blood, per se," Yayoi managed to get out in a hoarse whisper around the hold he had on her jaw. The grip relaxed as he realized she was attempting to explain.

Yayoi hesitated before speaking the next part, terribly away of the claws pressed against her flesh near her throat. "It is Sachiko's." 

"Sachiko," he repeated, evenly. 

Yayoi nodded, slightly, before closing her eyes and waiting for the inevitable. But nothing came. 

Sesshoumaru's fingers left her chin and she felt him draw back. Yayoi cracked her eyes open, hesitantly, before allowing them to be uncovered fully. The taiyoukai stood across from her, his face set around a pair of burning amber eyes. Those eyes narrowed at her like a predator watching his prey. Yayoi suppressed a shiver. 

"Explain. Every detail." 

Yayoi bit her lip unintentionally. "It's a shield I discovered in one of my scrolls of magic. It can be set to keep one certain group or person inside a certain area. At least that's what it said."

One thin eyebrow raised on the taiyoukai's otherwise smooth face. "Youare not certain?" There was a touch of disbelief as well as disgust in his voice as he uttered those words, and it made Yayoi's insides twist. 

"I read everything. And I did the spell correctly." She defended herself, catching herself at the last minute to keep from shouting the words at him vehemently. After an awkward pause, she continued. "It requires the blood of the individuals, or in this case, individual, who are to be kept enclosed. It is normally used as protection."

"And why would this Sesshoumaru require protection," he questioned, darkly. 

Yayoi wanted to step back. Her whole body wanted to run. But she remained standing nearly inches away from the angered taiyoukai even as her knees quaked underneath the layers of her kimono. She wasn't sure if she _could_ move.

And now she had to lie. Or, at least bend the truth a little bit. 

Thankfully, she had told a similar version of this story to the others, with a few different details, so that it would be a simple matter to say it again. 

Hopefully. 

"_You_ would not, Sesshoumaru-sama," she began, slowly. "It was to keep Sachiko herebefore the ceremony." _Or_, Yayoi said, silently, _after_. " It has not dissipated yet, is all. It shall not be long until it does so." _Or until you no longer need restrained._

It was hell. The seconds lasted an eternity, the whole room collapsed in on them, and he would not stop _staring_ at her! Those damned eyes gazed at her—through her—as if trying to read into her very soul for the truth. Yayoi fervently wished that her secrets remained hidden, no matter what pried down into her heart. 

Just when she thought she was going to lose her mind and start babbling like some demented woman, the taiyoukai looked away. 

"Hm" he grunted, softly, narrowed eyes drifting over to the distant window.

Yayoi gave an inner sigh of relief. He seemed to have bought it. 

It was a very short victory. Without even a hint as to his intentions, Sesshoumaru abruptly spun on his heel and marched towards the shoji door. Yayoi started, forgetting all appearance of nonchalance as he thrust the door open once more. She raced after him. 

"Sesshoumaru-sama!" The sound died on her lips as the mutt inuyoukai halted in the door. The taiyoukai was already down the hall and was tossing open one of the exterior doors. He cast a glance at her over his shoulder. 

Yayoi watched in a mix of shock, horror, and awe as the taiyoukai drew the broadest sword that hung at his hip with a smooth, nearly magical motion. He gave her a blank look, as if silently daring her to stop him. 

And then he was outside, straight into the pouring rain. 

A/N: I am **alive**!!!

_::ahem:: _

This part is short. And there is a reason for that. This chapter had a whole bunch of other things that were to come with it. They were all planned for one chapter, but, as I am well known for, I wrote too much. And I was terribly slow at writing that too much. And so, since I was only halfway done with this part, I decided to break this chapter up. And actually have a cliffhanger for once! (whoo!) 

And so, the things started here will be expanded on in the next part. Such as the apparent personality shift in Sesshoumaru. I assure you, there is a reason for his sudden aggressiveness. It may seem sudden, and out of keeping with his previous scenes, but, I repeat, there _is _a reason. 

And just so you all know, this whole chapter was a major _bitch_ to write. (no pun intended on Yayoi's part^__^) Not only in the scenes, but also in the effort it takes to write this thing .It takes a lot out of me sometimes, being all dark and gloomy and majestic. But I love doing it!

And so, in this oddly worded jumble of a chapter are some subtle hints as to some of Yayoi's other plans. Very subtle. Or at least _I_ think so, and I wrote it. ::laughs:: But, hey, some people are more perceptive than I am. Very much so, actually. 

And, I know Yayoi's past is somewhat similar to Ryoichi's (in the great grandparents area, at least) but I made it like that on purpose. There is only a limited way to get information on youkai in this age, after all. And, although I never mentioned it (and unlikely ever will in the story itself) it is through their grandparents that the two met anyhow. 

Hiibaba is a way to say great grandmother, by the way. Or at least what my dictionary said _ 

I'll make a statement here, which will apply to the entire story from here til the end. There will be **no** Rin/Sess romance. Nope. Not a bit. Why? I'm not gonna say, since it'll ruin some things. 

But there will be some innuendo on others' parts. So don't worry about it being constantly dry.

And, soon I will be making time actually move! No longer will it be only—what?—two days. Eight chapters for two days_ 

I write waaaaay too much.

Side note: I am thinking of changing my author name. "Ailian Rhys" is the name of an original character of mine that I want to take out of the limelight (such as it is anyhow). So, if suddenly an "Airian Reesu" comes up, don't be shocked. [I wonder where _that_ name came from.] I may also be starting a blog/live journal someday in the near future. That way you people can tell if I'm still alive during my long writing times (stupid real life. Stop getting in the waaaay!) 

Oh, and **_THANK YOU!!!_** reviewer peoples! I ADORE all these long, thought provoking, and, andreviews I keep getting! I think I'm gonna melt inside ^__^ Just kidding on that part....

forgive the long rants/author note. -_- I also hope there aren't any really bad errorsI only read it over myself a few billion times as I wrote it, but still 


	9. Barrier

**Memory of a Soul**

Airian Reesu (Ailian Rhys)

Chapter Nine: Barrier

There was a wonderful song playing; the staccato rhythm of rain for percussion, the faint tinkling of wind-tossed chimes for melody, and soft splashes in liquid-thin puddles forming in-between the paving stones of the walk for the mood. To further add to this, the air smelled sweet, new, heavily perfumed with nature's natural cleanser. 

Rinako sat back against the woven support of her low chair, watching the waterfall tumble down over the eaves only a few feet from where she sat. She didn't mind the damp in the least. As long as she was outside again, Rinako would have gladly stood out _in_ the rain. 

The fact that it was on the veranda of an ancient palace overlooking an amazingly beautiful garden didn't mean a thing to her. Especially not _this_ palace. 

"Are either of you two hungry?" 

Rinako glanced over at the young man at her side. He was sitting on a cushion between her and the stairs that lead down into the garden. Ryoichi gave her a soft, yet at the same time wry, grin. 

"If you are, I can get you somethin', you know. Kane-san can bring it out." 

Kane-san, as Rinako had learned earlier, was the name of the grumpy woman who'd come to take her yesterday. Not really a great fan of the lady's attitude, Rinako couldn't help but to admire her resilience. She didn't appear at all fazed to be working around a _demon_. 

The young woman couldn't keep from smiling lightly at the memory of the woman grumbling about not having electricity, as she'd come to give them their breakfast that morning. But, as Rinako had learned as well this morning, there _was_ indoor plumbing nearer to the back of the mansion, where the so-called "servants" were staying. It had been quite pleasant to finally take a shower and get cleaned up, even if it did mean that the old Grump had to wait for the two of them outside the door the entire time. 

"Azarni-san? Rinako-san? Are you two even listening to me?"

Rinako turned her gaze in her friend's direction while nodding absently. Azarni was watching the rain, her brown eyes glimmering in the faint light. Her attention seemed to be focussed inward, however, staring deep within at something Rinako couldn't see. Yet, she was generally relaxed, lying limply against her own chair, her legs stretched out in front of her. And so Rinako let her be. 

"We're just enjoying being outside is all, Ryoichi-san," Rinako replied verbally at last, her attention on Ryoichi again. 

To her amazement, Ryoichi shifted slightly, a grimace of guilt crawling onto his face. "HnI see" 

Rinako frowned. "Ryoichi-san?" Sure, he'd helped to abduct both Azarni and herself, and he'd been part of the ceremony that'd killed Sachiko. He was even a demon. But Rinako still couldn't help but feel a bit of affection for him. He tried _so_ hard to be light-hearted and kind around them and he appeared to be a generally nice person, all faults and deeds aside. And she knew that she always had been softhearted. 

Too bad they couldn't have met under much different circumstance. Perhaps it should have all stopped at the caf 

"You do know that you're only out here because_he_ requested it." His startling green eyes gave her an apprehensive look, as if waiting to see how she'd react. 

Rinako knew who he' was. She felt a shiver run down her spine; she wasn't sure if it was from the weather or thinking about the night before. 

She didn't know how to feel about their little meeting. One part of her was terrified, knowing that she'd sat so long with a monster. Another part felt vaguely relieved. She had never been able to speak to anyone about her mother. Never in her life had she been able to just rant out her feelings like that. And he hadn't said a word. For that, she was grateful. 

There was a small piece of her, however, a small nagging insidious thing, that had sprung up as she left last night. It did not frighten her as much as disconcert her. 

It was a sense of gentleunderstanding, a touch of sympathy and pity. As she had gazed upon such an ancient being—living and breathing in a world he did not know, being brought back from eternal sleep to faces he had no recollections of—it had sprung up to start burning its little smoldering flame in the back of her heart. 

And that was her compassion coming to play again. And Rinako knew she should not feel that way. Or at least her mind did. 

But her mind didn't seem to hear that minute, compelling voice that whispered to her. But her heart did. 

The same heart that had loved her mother despite all of her shortcomings. The same heart that was willing to forgive Ryoichi. The heart that made swift, absurd decisions that, after finally thinking it through, seemed to be the best path. 

Rinako mustered a genuine smile, reaching out to take Ryoichi's hand, ignoring how his eyes grew double in size. She was going to follow all of her intuitions, she decided. There was something inside her that seemed to understand more than her mind gave her credit for. 

"Do not feel so badly about it, Ryoichi-san. At least we are outside. It's not so caged out here." 

Ryoichi just stared at her for the longest moment, before his eyes drifted down to their clasped hands. Rinako followed his gaze, taking in his smooth, rounded nails that had once been claws. 

Claws just like _his_. 

Thin, yet strong fingers tightened their grip on her hand, giving her a comforting squeeze in reply to her own. "You are a truly remarkable person, Rinako-san," Ryoichi remarked, softly enough that it was barely distinguishable over the rain. He gave her a wavering smile that was much more genuine than his earlier grin. 

Rinako was about to dissuade his high opinion of her person; she was just an overly compassionate girl who gave her heart too easily. Yet, before she was about to speak, Azarni's voice stopped her. 

"What's happening over there?" 

Two heads swiveled in her direction, following a shaking finger as it pointed to the other side of the garden. There, between the pouring rain, they could see a tall, white figure stalking towards the back boundary of the grounds, where the forest and cliffs rose in an inky black backdrop. 

Ryoichi dropped Rinako's hand, leaping to his feet. "Sesshoumaru-sama?" he questioned aloud, his forehead creasing with confusion. 

No one answered him. Rinako sat still as a statue, watching that predatory gait as the taiyoukai strode through the pristine shrubbery and flower patches of the garden. Something cold and metallic glittered in the dim gray light, the rain bouncing off it in all directions as if not even water wanted to get near what she recognize now to be a sword. 

She did not miss the small form that came hurrying out after him, weighed down with layers of cloth. Rinako recognized her easily enough, noticing the red hair that labeled her as Yayoi. She also saw as well as heard the stirring of the other people in the castle, faces peering through the rain from distant porches to see what was happening. A few even stepped out of doors farther down from where the trio sat. Their whispers were like a rattlesnake's hiss under the pounding rain. 

"What is he doing?" Ryoichi exclaimed, moving towards the steps. Azarni's arm finally fell to her side and she clenched them tightly in her lap. Rinako glanced at her out of the corner of her eye and saw that she looked as white as ghost. 

"Azarni?" she questioned, softly. 

The other girl looked at her, her eyes the clearest they'd been since they'd arrived. There was a sense of understand behind them. "I think he doesn't like it here," she said quietly, so that Ryoichi could not hear her. "Sachiko wouldn't have. I know it." 

Rinako stared at her friend in amazement. It was a short moment, as Ryoichi suddenly cried out in surprise. Rinako's eyes darted over to where he stood at the edge of the veranda, his toes on the top step and one arm around the nearest pole. He was leaning forward enough to get wet from the rain, the drops running in thick rivers through his hair. 

"What's wrong?" Rinako asked, getting to her feet as well. His expression unnerved her. It was a type of mindless wonderment, almost euphoria, giving his eyes a glassy appearance. Rinako laid a hand on his stiff shoulder and he openly flinched, his wide green eyes jumping to her face. 

"What is it, Ryoichi?" she demanded with more force this time. 

He blinked at her, dazed. "It's just that—"

He was cut off by Azarni's scream. Rinako looked out onto the dark gray landscape before her just in time to see the demon draw back his sword. Something dark and red curled about the pristine blade; twisting and writhing like it was alive. The whole air about him seemed to glow with a bloody mist, made even more apparent by the dark, drenching rains. 

That mist made the hair on the back of her neck prickle and her stomach turn into cold knots. Rinako knew why Azarni had screamed. 

"Ryoichi?" she managed to whisper, even as that mist grew in size, reaching out to swirl within the demon's pearly locks even as he shifted into an offensive stance. Yayoi had come up to him then, faltering in her steps as that dark power grew. Rinako watched her take a few hasty steps backwards, one hand coming up to her chest. Her face, full of fear and awe, was illuminated clearly by the crimson light. 

"Oh, by the gods," Ryoichi muttered, his fingers digging spastically into the wooden post. Rinako felt her eyes widen, watching as his nails started to thicken and lengthen. She took a step back, knees quaking underneath her. Her heart was pounding an erratic rhythm in her throat and she swallowed. 

The whole palace seemed to stand still as the taiyoukai finally swung his sword. The phosphorescent blade arched downward gracefully through the air to strike at nothing Rinako could see. Yet, it seemed to hit _something_, rebounding backwards with a deafening clang that sent every nerve in Rinako's body tingling. 

The demon stumbled backwards, yet maintained his footing as that red energy came hurtling back at them. He leapt to the side just as it swept past, flying in a rumbling wave towards the side of the property, where it engulfed a whole line of weeping willows, turning them to ash in an instant. 

To Rinako's amazement, the demon didn't seem to give the destruction a second glance. Instead he rushed forward, spinning on his heel so that his shoulder rammed into his invisible foe. 

The air crackled with electricity suddenly, seeming to shudder under the pressure. Streaks of florescent blue light sprung up from where the taiyoukai was caught up against the unyielding air that now looked like a sheet of solid, translucent plastic looming an undeterminable distance to the sky. 

Ryoichi cried out suddenly, as did a hundred other voices. And Rinako was surprised to find that her voice was one of them. She took a step back just as the cracks that ran along the invisible surface pulsated once, before exploding into an orb of crackling, blinding energy. It sent shock waves rebounding to the far-reaches of the complex. Rinako stood frozen as one came towards them. Her eyes closed on their own accord against the mind-numbing brightness as the power washed over them. 

But it did nothing. She felt nothing. Her eyes cracked open. It had come, and then was gone, leaving not even a charred splinter in its wake

_But_

Against her better instincts, Rinako turned her eyes in the direction of the explosion, waiting to find a sickening sight. 

The demon appeared to have been thrown several feet from the impact, landing crouched with his legs firm against the ground underneath him as his sole arm held up the brunt of his weight. It was a position that only someone flexible could have contorted into and it reminded her strongly of an animal crouching before striking prey. His long hair was scattered around him like a cloud of ribbons, still being tossed lightly by the aftershock even as the rain continued to pelt down. Even from here he looked completely drenched, his fine garments slick with rain. 

Yet, despite that, he seemed relatively intact. In fact, he was soon on his feet again, casting back the rope-like hair. 

Rinako felt her jaw drop. _What happened? Why had he? How?_

Ryoichi stirred beside her, relaxing the death hold he had on the innocent column. He tossed back his own wet locks as well, his eyes darting to meet Rinako's. She flinched; taking in the oblong, slitted pupils that stared back at her. They were filled with a mixture of stunned shock and fear. 

Ryoichi look as if he had noticed her withdrawal and the dazed look faded away. He blinked a few times, before frowning lightly. "Rinako-san?"

"Your eyes, Ryoichi" Rinako whispered, hoarsely, feeling her legs waver beneath her again. Her hand fell onto the railing and she gripped it tightly. "They've changed." 

Confusion evident on his face, Ryoichi lifted a hand up towards his face, stopping halfway as his new claws came into view. He jumped in surprise, starring at his hand in stupefaction. 

"What in the hell?" He suddenly whipped around to stare out into the dark. "Yayoi" he whispered, breathlessly, his fingers once again sliding over the column, seeming to ignore the deep gashes that now ran along the one side. 

Rinako followed his gaze, watching as Sesshoumaru finally moved, crossing over to where Yayoi was. She was on the ground now, laying in a tumble in the mud, held up by only her arms. Yet, she got up at his approach, drawing her ruined kimono tightly around herself. 

"Yayoi!" Ryoichi shouted, forcefully, making Rinako grimace at the volume. He cast around behind him, searching for something Rinako didn't know. Then, with clear resignation, he hefted the chair Rinako had been sitting in, before dashing out into the rain. 

"What are you _doing_?" Rinako called after him, her voice echoing in the dark. 

Ryoichi kept running, hurtling straight towards the two figures on the opposite end of the grounds. 

"Ryoichi!" she tried again, before giving in to the inevitable. Her shoulders slumped and Rinako leaned heavily against the banister. 

"Why is this happening?"

Sesshoumaru wasn't one who would normally fault and second-guess his own actions. But, for once, he had to concede that he shouldn't have done that. After the explosion it was all he could do to stay on his feet, ending in a rather undignified crouch in the mud. 

His eyes narrowed, staring out into the dark where he knew the damned barrier was. Water ran in sheets down the planes of his face, over the slick strands of his hair. Sesshoumaru blinked, stopping his inspection of the invisible shield to shake the water out of his eyes. 

That was what he hated the most about any type of precipitation; the fact that it was hard to see with the tiny little missiles of rain or snow pelting you so relentlessly. 

Tossing back his long hair, he sat back on his heels, releasing the pressure on his arm, and at the same time Toukijin, the hilt of which was nearly imbedded in his palm, pressed flat into the drenched ground. The end of Tenseiga's scabbard scrapped against the mud as he moved, pushing the hilt into his hip. His sensed the sword pulse, trembling in its casing as a faint blue light swirled around the lip. Immediately after, he felt the familiar touch of the sword's power crawl over his skin. 

Annoyance flashed through him. What did the sword think he was, a weakling pup? Its sudden over-protectiveness was irksome; for never before had it reacted to such simple things as cuts and bruises. And he was certain that was the extent of all the injuries, if any, he'd sustained from the paltry conflict. 

Tenseiga's blue light flickered suddenly, before pushing against him a bit more forcefully, an oddfeeling within its healing warmth.

Sesshoumaru couldn't keep from frowning lightly, looking down at the weapon at his side. Strangely enoughhe could understand it. 

_How can a sword feel _guilty_? Or for that matter, _feel_ at all? _

Not exactly in the best disposition to try to fathom the complex weapon, he pushed the thought aside. Now to get out of this muck and discover what had gone wrong.

He knew one reason already; had known it since that morning. Although he never would have imagined he'd go so far because of it. 

Sesshoumaru had met the dawn with a sense of restlessness that had soon developed into a sense of being contained. The oppressive moisture and chemical odor of the air had done nothing to settle him. And, although loath to admit it, it _had_ even begun to become a sort of paranoia. By the time the sun had risen completely he had been pacing. 

Which was something he rarely—or, more precisely, _never_—allowed himself to do. It was waste of energy and time, something that could easily be put to another use. 

The trouble was, there _was_ nothing to put it to. 

Which wasn't the best thing for him right now, he'd realized quickly enough. Not having something to occupy himself with meant he was unfocussed, and such a thing was further delay his regeneration.

Not the physical aspect—for Tenseiga had finished that off admirably—but the spiritual. That had been the main cause of his restlessness—he still did not have his youki under control. He could feel it even now; churning about him like some newly tethered beast that was waiting to find a way to escape. 

Youki was on principle rogue, unwieldy. And his was even more so, now. Normally, although wild, it could easily be contained by a youkai since it was joined to them at birth, and only to them. Yet, his had run rampant for so many years after his death and was not accustomed to being controlled by a master any longer. He needed to stamp his rules into it once more, regulated it as he had been trained to do all his life. For youki was of the earth and needed to be controlled like a spirited beast, integrated into the manifested being. Only with control could one have power. 

His was not very inclined to be saddled again, it seemed. 

This struggle within his own core was starting to wear thin at his nerves. Yet, Sesshoumaru had not become as powerful as he had been by simply forfeiting such a fight. 

However, if today's actions were to be taken as a forewarning, it seemed that he would have to redouble his efforts to subdue that power. Being so irritable, irrational, and quick-tempered was not how he wished to be. It wasvery much like Inu-Yasha. 

No wonder that half-breed had often found himself in trouble. He had _always_ acted as recklessly as Sesshoumaru had that afternoon. It was an all out miracle the mutt hadn't been killed for his stupidity. 

Sesshoumaru grimaced, openly, one fang sinking into his lower lip. He didn't like comparing himself with that half-blood, even in his own mind. But the childishness of that statement did not escape his notice. Inu-Yasha was dead, after all. 

And besides, he could get control of himself again. Inu-Yasha, with only half-blood, could not. Although, he _had_ had a surprisingly tight hold on himself, considering whom he was. Which could only be due to that damn sword of his. 

Not truly understanding why he was thinking about the half-breed at a time like this, Sesshoumaru shook his head again, before pushing himself to his feet, lifting Toukijin from the ground. Silently cursing his erratic mind, the taiyoukai stared out into the darkness to his invisible enemy. 

He had never seen such a barrier as the one that loomed between him and the forest beyond. There had been a small number of times when he had needed to circumvent such a nuisance, the one that first came to mind being Naraku's. He had fought through the vexatious warding, despite the drain it had been on his energy. And then the bastard would create others that Toukijin could not break. Which had been highly tiresome, if he remembered correctly. 

Naraku, whom it seemed, did not exist any longer. Although Sesshoumaru could not clearly recall the half-breed's end, he knew it was so. It was instinctual, as if, although his mind did not remember it, something in him did. 

Although one did not readily know what lay outside' of his makeshift prison. 

As that thought came to mind, Sesshoumaru's gaze drifted over to the inu-mutt. She was sprawled ungracefully on the muddy ground, her dark eyes wide in the gloom. 

Ah yes. How this vixen had come across such an extraordinary barrier was something of interest. It did not harm anyone. It simple would not _allow_ him to pass. It was as if the air had solidified like stone, unyielding even to a weapon of Toukijin's caliber. 

It, oddly enough, perplexed him. Sesshoumaru had never heard of such an invention before. There was no threat to it. Nothing to keep him here besides the fact he _couldn't_ leave. 

Yet, every barrier could be broken, surpassed. All it took was patience.

Which he seemed to be severely lacking lately, much to his indignation. 

Curious despite himself—and only vaguely recalling that he should be furious with her—Sesshoumaru approached Yayoi, watching the mutt stumble to her feet, gangly arms and legs fumbling like a newborn colt. 

She stared at him through the pouring rain, thick tendrils of her hair matted onto her face, the rouge and other cosmetics she wore on her face melting like wax down her skin. He could faintly smell what he thought to be their processed scent from where he stood, as well as the stench of wet human. 

Forcing himself not to wrinkle his nose in disgust, he gazed at her steadily, waiting for her to explain. The wench did not say a word, however, staring intently at the muddy ground, as if waiting to be punished. 

"How long will this remain?" Sesshoumaru questioned her calmly, after it was apparent she was to remain mute. 

Yayoi's red head snapped up, shock plain on her face before it was smoothed over. "I do not know, Sesshoumaru-sama," she whispered, her voice nearly drowned out by the thudding rain. She shook her head, hair flying away from her face. "It shall not be much longer, I suppose. You are not Sachiko, after all." 

"Indeed," the taiyoukai answered, tersely. 

That was when the voices echoed across the lawn, loud and clear over the rain. 

"Yayoi!" 

Sesshoumaru's head snapped up, whirling around to face the voice of that tori-mutt. Why was he there? He was supposed to be with—

"What are you _doing_?" 

The taiyoukai stopped dead, watching the little scene on the veranda. _She_ was there, calling after the tori. Sesshoumaru didn't notice the man who was hurtling towards the two of them. His interest was in the young woman. 

"Ryoichi!"

Why hadn't he noticed her before? Sesshoumaru frowned, his marked brow furrowing slightly. He did not know how much she'd seen, but by the fear in her tone, it had to have been at least some part of the whole display. 

Something within him twisted unexpectedly and he fought back a grimace. He feltashamed, oddly enough. Never in his life had he shown Rin this side of him, the ruthless, dangerous side, if he could avoid it. And now, after finding her again, it was one of the first she had seen. 

Which should not disturb him as much as it was. It was irrational, to care so greatly on such a pointless topic. Why did a human's opinion matter at all; it was terrible enough that youkai-mutts held him captive here. To worry over a pathetic human was completely useless. 

But that did not explain what was happening to him now. Sesshoumaru continued to gaze at the young woman through the rain, and for the first time that day, felt himself calm. The once wild youki came to curl around him as if it had spent its energy for the day and was content to rest to try again tomorrow. Closing his eyes, he attempted to drag as much of it together as he could, drawing and releasing a steady breath. 

Someone was coming towards him. 

Sesshoumaru's eyes snapped openly instantly and he moved just as Yayoi called out, nervously, "Ryoichi! How kind of you to bring a chair" 

The mongrel-tori came to a stumbling halt where Sesshoumaru had once been, holding a low seat in a rather comical fashion in front of him, as if he had intended to actually _do_ something with the pathetic weapon. And Sesshoumaru knew that was what he had conceived it to be. He could sense the mutt's fear rolling off him in waves. Fear that was smothered deep within a sense of protectiveness that blazed bright in his eyes. 

A stiff silence fell between them all before Sesshoumaru spoke up, his tone dry. "I did not know that you are now offering entertainment." 

Ryoichi flushed all the way up to the roots of his hair, dropping the seat to the ground with a wet thud as his arms fell slack to his sides. His eyes darted from Sesshoumaru to Yayoi. 

"Yayoi-san" he whispered. 

The redheaded woman gazed at him steadily with her dark eyes, not saying a word. Sesshoumaru could clearly see that something passed between the two of them with that gaze, but he highly doubted that it was telepathy. It was something more similar to a mutual understanding. 

"Tori," he ordered, briskly, breaking their silent communication effortlessly. The young man turned to him, bowing slightly despite the expression of puzzlement he wore. "H-hai, Sesshoumaru-sama?"

The taiyoukai lifted his chin arrogantly, ignoring the rivers of water that ran icy fingers over his skin. He knew he looked positively drowned. "We will return to the palace now. Come with me." 

Ryoichi blinked up at him dumbly, his face contorted into an almost amusing expression of surprise. "B-but—?"

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes. "I will not stand in this rain any longer." 

After another moment of hesitation, the mutt yielded. Ignoring the shivering female that stood in the rain beside him, the taiyoukai spun on his heel, sheathed Toukijin, and started towards the house, Ryoichi trailing obediently behind. 

But, instead of entering through the door he had exited from, Sesshoumaru approached the porch Rinako was on. He could see her slight form resting against the banister, leaning forward to peer into the rain. She appeared to notice his approach, jumping backwards into the shadows of the overhang. 

The taiyoukai continued his solemn march towards the building. The mud pulled at his feet, clutching his embroidered shoes in its suction-like grip, coating them like thick war paint. Thick strands of his hair kept hitting his face, coiling like snakes against his neck and behind his ears. His sleeves felt as if they would soon be trailing across the grass; they were that laden with water. 

He knew that his wardrobe would be a sorry sight in the morning 

Not that that truly mattered at this moment in time. It was something that could easily be rectified with a few swift orders. 

There was something far more pressing that he needed to attend to. 

He reached the stone path that swept up towards the wooden steps. Not even looking to see if Ryoichi was keeping up, he increased his pace. He could hear voices up on the porch and see the movement of shadowy shapes. Both stopped the instant his foot hit the first step. 

Sesshoumaru had not truly understood how much the rain had been annoying him until he actually got out if it. It was a subtle relief not to have those insistent needles against his skin. He stood in silence for a long moment, allowing himself to become adjusted to the sound of the rain against the roof and the distinct oppressiveness that was already forming on the edge of his consciousness. 

There was a slight movement to one side of the darkened porch. Turning languidly, Sesshoumaru's sharp eyes clearly saw Rinako step in front of the other human—who was that again?—and square her shoulders. 

Slight amusement filtered through his mind and he couldn't help but smirk—perhaps even smile—at this show of bravado. He knew she couldn't see it, however, and he had no trouble keeping it from his voice.

"Rinako-san." 

This seemed to startle the young woman and she started, taking a step back. Her fear rolled off of her in waves. Sesshoumaru felt his shoulder involuntarily stiffen as the scent reached his nose. What more, that once calm beast inside him stirred, slowly coming awake.

And it was then that he realized something that he should have seen earlier. That part of him, that demonic energy that had run rampant for so long, actually _recognized_ the girl standing before him. That had been what induced it to calm slightly before; feeling the presence of something else it remembered—in some mystical sense no one knew of—other than Sesshoumaru himself. A sort of old memento used to recall an old memory. And, being a part of Sesshoumaru, it knew _precisely_ what Rinako had been.

Someone who was not meant to be frightened. 

The taiyoukai scowled, before grimacing slightly as an unfamiliar rage rippled through him. Rage at himself, no less. Was he truly that concerned about the welfare of this human woman? 

He didn't have to answer that question. He knew the answer long before he'd even posed it. And, like everything else in this whole damn place, it set out to unbalance him. Something he would never have admitted to himself in the time before was now so clear. Certainly death did not affect one so deeply. 

Although he was positive that not many youkai had ever been able to share in this experience. 

Sesshoumaru was certain that his lack of control over himself was one of the greatest reasons for this moment of dubious clarity. And, once again, it irked him. Everything seemed to be getting under his skin lately. 

Realizing that they were now all standing in strained silence as his mind wandered, Sesshoumaru knew he had to end it. Fixing Rinako with a wondering gaze that she could not see, he spoke, softly. "You are acting rather brave, Rinako-san, placing yourself before that other mortal as you have done. For that I must commend you." 

Large brown eyes widened and darkened with surprise as well as confusion. There was movement behind her as that other woman drew back, yet Sesshoumaru kept his attention on Rinako. She seemed to be studying him, although it was far too dark here for her to see properly. Perhaps she was looking for something she didn't need to actually _see_. 

"Thank you, Sesshoumaru-sama," she said at last, bowing her head slightly. There was a gasp from the girl behind her as well as a startled cry from Ryoichi. "I do not wish for Azarni to come to harm." Here she hesitated, before speaking with a voice that tried, and failed, to sound confident. "And you willsee to this, Sesshoumaru-sama?" 

Sesshoumaru ignored the sodden clump of hair that lost its hold on his slick skin to fall over his left eye. He was far too occupied with contemplating the small slip of a woman before him. The girl who had just seen him acting so viciously not so very long ago and was yet placing so much trust in him and his goodness of character. Such a request could only be asked of one the solicitor knew would fulfill the task, this he knew. 

And, just as that little human girl had posed a similar question to him long ago, albeit for herself and without words, Sesshoumaru found that he could not deny her. It was his weakness. 

And _that_ he had acknowledged years ago. 

Right before his death. 

"If you ask it of me, Rinako-san," he told her, evenly. "I shall do so. In spite of the fact that I do not quite understand your reasoning in this matter," he added, his tone changing slightly as he raised an eyebrow in unseen question. 

Her eyebrows drew together in a light frown and she bit her lip. Sesshoumaru's nerves went on edge at the sight, but he forced himself to calm. He knew, although his expertise was rather limited, that humans always had had a queer penchant for self-mutilation. It never resulted in much, and therefore was not very troublesome. 

Rinako cleared her throat, awkwardly. "Sesshoumaru-sama" she faltered. 

"Do not trouble yourself to tell me, Rinako-san. It is not of the greatest concern." Sesshoumaru realized the harshness of those words right after they came to mind, but, not really knowing what else _to_ say, he'd said them anyway. Although he'd tried to take some of the bite out of them, the best he could, anyhow. 

Rinako gazed up at him, squinting in the dark. She studied him, before shaking her head slightly. Then she did something Sesshoumaru never expected from her. 

She smiled. 

"Ah, Arigatou gozaimasu, Sesshoumaru-sama." 

But, Sesshoumaru wasn't seeing the young, modern woman any longer. In her place was a small black-haired child, gazing up and waving with her patented smile. "Come back soon, Sesshoumaru-sama!" And then she turned to run out into her long since dead patch of flowers, leaving in her wake the small woman standing in the dark. 

Sesshoumaru snarled silently, one of his fangs tearing into his lip, a wound that was quickly mended. 

Damn his memory. 

Thankfully, no one appeared to note the youkai's sudden anger, because Rinako continued. "You have been veryhospitable, towards us, Sesshoumaru-sama. And for that, I must thank you again." 

"Rinako!" the small female behind her, hissed. "What are you doing?"

Rinako ignored her. "And I hope that you'll feel better soon."

Ryoichi made a noise of disbelief behind them as Sesshoumaru involuntarily tensed again. "Hn" he grunted, not really knowing what to say to that. If it had been anyone else, he would have. But not Rinako.

Rinako's smile widened. 

Sesshoumaru turned suddenly, the drenched sleeves of his haori slapping against his legs instead of billowing gracefully as they normally did. Trying to ignore this less than dignified display, he went to enter the palace and leave this troublesome woman behind, even if it meant being within the constricting walls again. 

"I'll be seeing you again, ne, Sesshoumaru-sama?" 

The taiyoukai stopped, his back turned to her. "If you wish it so, Rinako-san," he told her, quietly, even as his eyes drifted shut in something vaguely resembling suffering. There was a beat of quiet, before he tilted his head in Ryoichi's direction. "See to it that they get back to their rooms, tori. Then come to me." 

Not waiting for his reply, Sesshoumaru walked back into the realm of oppressive walls and thoughts that was the palace proper.

He did not really know how long he would last here before _something_ snapped. Be it either his control or something else. 

And _she_ wasn't helping any. 

At least for his pride. 

*

Natsuko lay on the floor, knees drawn up to her chest as she stared at the blank wall ahead of her. She knew that something was happening outside; she'd just witnessed the flood of servants scurrying to get out there. She had also experienced the dizzying, sickening feeling of something she did not want to know tingle at her nerve ends. That had been what made her leave her position against the wall to huddle on the floor.

She knew whom it was that caused that feeling. The taiyoukai.

Fingers that had long ago become claws reached up to touch the ring that hung in her lip and she shivered. Never, in all her life, had she ever been close to such a person, such a _thing,_ that radiated so much malice. And she had finally understood, as that deceptively slim hand had come up effortlessly to clutch at her chin hard enough to bruise the skin along her jaw, _exactly_ what it was that Yayoi had dragged up.

It was something that deserved to be dead in hell. 

Natsuko withdrew her hand, flexing the thin fingers as she watched the elongated nails slowly fade back into normal ones. Not only was he a monster, but also by having him here _she_ was becoming one too. It was beginning to terrify her to a much higher extreme now, now that she knew how he was capable of behaving. 

She didn't want to become _that_. 

Natsuko lifted her head, hearing the sounds of the other servants filing back into the palace and she knew that whatever had happened was over. She decided it would be prudent to vacant herself from the area, in case the taiyoukai came back.

She did not want to see him again. 

As she struggled to her feet, Natsuko was already planning for the next time she could get out of here. She was going to go straight to Nishioka-sensei. She realized now exactly how over her head Yayoi had become and Sensei was the only one who could help. 

He was the only one who understood the danger. 

Natsuko squared her shoulders, pushing back her hair before starting down the hallway. She was going to make sure that Yayoi ambitions did not get the best of her. She _had_ to. 

Yet, even as those strong, confidant words flitted through her mind, so did something else. Growled, angry words from that animal that had held her against the wall: 

"You smell foul. Disgusting like this whole era. And I will trust neither."

--

**A/N:** .

Well look at _that_. 

A chapter done in less than a month. 

I think the world is coming to an end

[Okay, not seriously, but it had the dramatic effect, don't you think? ^__^]

As you can see, here is the next installment of _Memory_. And, as I said, last chapter, a few things were explained. And, then, new questions came up. [I keep digging myself in, don't I.]

And look! An _action_ scene! I loved that action scene. I never knew I could write one, but there it was, that whole section in less than an hour. A miracle. That, as well as the fact I didn't have to fix too much of it after the big writing boom. Which is even better. ^__^ 

I suppose that's what I get for listening to dark music as I wrote it. 

And now, in the next chapter, time will actually move. And they will all rejoice. (At least I will). And there will be Rin/Sess scenes, old memories, even a small bath scene –to a point anyway. So, let's see how long this one'll take me.

Until next time!


	10. Story

**Memory of a Soul  
**Airian Reesu  
  
Whine: This damn site keeps messing up my formatting! Apologies for strangeness in advance!   
  
--cries-- I had to use the LINE! Stupid stupid thing.......

Chapter Ten: Story

_The girl stared out of the window. Despite the beauty she knew lay outside, she did not see any of it. Her mind was far away, drifting aimlessly down paths she'd rather not tread. _

_There was a creak behind her of an opening then closing door, and soft footfalls padding across the floor towards her. But she did not turn, hoping that if she ignored the intruder they would leave. _

_They weren't supposed to be bothering her now. They were all supposed to be outside, gathering the flowers to take with them that afternoon. Not imposing on her solitude. This was her place to mourn, after all. _

_The footsteps stopped almost directly behind her and she could feel the presence lingering on the edge of her personal space. _

_"Rinako."_

_She recognized that mellow voice immediately and she couldn't help but wince. Of course, that had to be the person to come first. She should have known that she couldn't have been able to hide such a thing, especially from someone as uncannily perceptive as—_

_Sachiko." _

_The older girl did not say anything, drifting to the edge of Rinako's line of sight. Her long hair, recently bleached, made her blurry form seem completely white. The two fell into silence for a long, drawn out moment; Rinako started to swing her feet gentle against the side of the window seat, unconsciously trying to dispel the tension. _

_"This isn't healthy for you, sitting in here all alone, Rinako-chan," Sachiko remarked, mildly. Rinako's hands fisted in her lap, in the folds of her shirt, but she did not turn. "The way you're acting, I would say you're much more unhappy than you're allowing to show." _

_The way she said it, a low, drawling, almost apathetic tone, made Rinako tense. But then she forced herself to relax, her fingers loosening. "I'm fine, Sachiko. Really. A little sad, maybe, but I think I'm coping all right."_

_"Hmm…" the older girl hummed, airily, turning to glide behind her, moving about the room in silence, except for the faint squeak of her shoes on the old floor. Rinako found herself straining to hear where the girl was going, in spite of her wish to be alone. _

_The footsteps stopped abruptly on the other side of the room. "You would think that, wouldn't you?" Sachiko commented, softly. "You always tend to think that; especially after something like this happens." There was something in her voice that Rinako didn't like. It grated on her already frayed nerves in a manner she could not describe. _

_"I'm fine, Sachiko," she huffed, finally turning away from her window to gaze at the pale-haired girl. Sachiko stood in front of the vanity with her back facing the girl in the window. Rinako watched her in the refection, seeing how she was busy studying whatever lay on the polished surface, her light eyes hooded. Sachiko appeared to not be paying any attention at all. Rinako couldn't help feeling somewhat piqued by the sudden withdrawal. She had started this whole conversation, after all. Now she wasn't even paying attention!_

_And then those eyes lifted. This took Rinako by complete surprise, especially when they locked on hers in the glass. Her heart lurched, tumbling over itself in that moment before struggling to balance out again. In that instant, looking in Sachiko's eyes, she had seen someone who appeared much older than a teenager. Someone who had seen a great deal of the world. _

_"Do you want to talk to me about it, Rinako-chan? I am willing to listen. I know what it is like to lose…someone." She turned then, long fingers grasping a red and white hair clip, the extremely pale digits curled within the teeth. Her eyes were soft, but not pitying. More like empathizing. "I've been through it, many times."_

_Rinako bit her lip, turning away forcefully to stare blankly out the window again. "No."_

_Sachiko didn't listen. Rinako heard the snap of the clip as she continued, thoughtfully. It was almost as if the girl was speaking to herself. "You lose someone, yes. But, afterwards, you must gain someone, some_thing_, to be yourself again. Sitting in the dark does not fix the hurt. It is moving on that makes it go away. Realizing that life continues to go, with _or_ without you. That is what draws you out again. No matter how much you refuse to believe it, it is true," she added, firmly, cutting off Rinako's refusal. Having spun around to speak, Rinako was facing Sachiko when she glanced up from her perusal of the hairpiece, light eyes serious when they pinned on her. _

_"Do not do this to yourself, Rinako. You're not meant for such sadness."_

_Rinako bit her lip again, wishing Sachiko would leave. "I have a right to be sad…" she stated, her tone uncommitted. _

_"It hurts." The clip was on her finger again, biting into the older girl's pallid skin, leaving white, teeth-like indents. But, Rinako knew Sachiko wasn't talking about that. _

_She sighed. "Can't we just drop it for now, Sachiko? I don't want to talk about it. I just want this day over with…" _

_"If you wish it so," Sachiko responded. Rinako couldn't help but fidget; she was using that creepy tone again. The quiet, distant one that made her think that the older girl wasn't really talking to her. Or, if she was, it was from some immeasurable distance. But, that was just one of Sachiko's little quirks that they'd all become accustomed to over time. _

_Rinako leaned her head against the cool glass. "Thanks, Sachiko."_

_"Certainly. You are like a little sister to me, Rinako-chan. I can respect your privacy once in a while. At least you don't chase me out with a math book like Azarni does." Sachiko laughed, a quick, dry chuckle that was gone as soon as it had come. _

_Rinako couldn't help but grin slightly at the remembrance. "I'm not _that_ cruel."_

_"Hmm…" There was a clutter of plastic on wood as Sachiko apparently set down her little plaything. "I'll leave you here then. But, _remember_ what I said Rinako," she added, softly, but intently._

_Rinako didn't reply. She listened to the older girl cross the room and heard the door swing open._

_"And, I promise you, I'll get you to talk to me. Someday."  
_

* * *

"—ako? Rinako!" 

Something clamped down on the young woman's shoulder, making Rinako nearly leap out of her skin. Turning away from the small, partial opened window, her wide eyes stared into Azarni's concerned ones. The morning sunlight washed over her face, allowing her troubled features to show openly.

The other girl's lips twitched the slightest bit as she gave Rinako a quizzical glance. "What were you thinking about so intently?"

Rinako shook her head once, trying to clear the last wisps of awoken memory that was swirling around in her brain. Once her thoughts were in a semi-straight order again, she shrugged, noncommittally. "Nothing much. Just remembering something is all."

Azarni gave her a skeptical look before turning around and going back over to her futon. She kicked the still unmade sheets, making them flutter slightly as they settled like wilting petals. An awkward silence stretched out between them as Rinako watched her friend abuse her sleeping mat.

It took an abnormally large effort to break the quiet. "Azarni?"

The young woman sighed, shoulders slumping marginally. She gave the piled blankets one more swift jab with her foot. "That was way too creepy for me," she began at last. She turned to the side, giving Rinako a sidelong glance as her arms wrapped across her own torso in a childlike hug. "I want to go home."

Rinako bit her lip, remaining silent. Her fingers trailed down to her sloppily tied obi, fingertips grazing over the solid rectangular lump of Sachiko's diary that resided there.

"Why did you ask that…him to watch over me like that?" Azarni questioned, abruptly. Rinako looked up to see Azarni had turned towards her fully, arms crossed at her waist. "That…thing. It—he almost blew up the whole place, and you ask him to keep _me_ safe?" A hand came up from the mess of limbs to poke at her chest. "What were you _thinking_? It...It…"

"Because I know he will," Rinako responded, quietly.

Azarni was clearly flabbergasted. "_Know_? How do you _know_? This is…It is…That thing kil—took ove—Sachiko's _gone_ because of him. It's an evil, evil thing. Didn't you _feel_ that yesterday? It's something we've never seen before, let alone _interacted_ with. And here you claim to know what it—he'll do?"

"I don't understand why you're upset, Azarni," Rinako stated, her tone hardening minutely. "You have it the best of all of us. He'll do nothing to you."

"You keep saying that! Like it's some creature of _honor_ or some other bullshit. How do you know?"

"How do you not know?"

Azarni sighed, gustily, running a nervous hand through her hair. "You singled me out, Rinako. You made it _notice_ me. I didn't want that."

"And I did?" The reply was nearly inaudible.

Azarni opened her mouth, then closed it again. She frowned. "I shouldn't have followed such a stupid idea…" she mumbled. "Now we're stuck here, _somewhere_, with some dangerous, magical thing—"

Rinako couldn't keep from frowning. "He's not a _thing_, Azarni."

"Oh? Then what is _he_? I've never seen something like _him_ in all of my life."

"He's a living, breathing being, Azarni. And you can't really blame him for Sachiko's death."

"_What_?"

"It's true, if you think about it."

Rinako had been thinking a great deal last night, after Ryoichi had ushered them back to the room. She had gone straight to Sachiko's journal, despite the fact that Azarni was still awake and had devoured it, taking in all of the information like an overly dry sponge.

It had been an adventure, reading that little book. Especially when Sachiko would slip into that ancient writing. The wide array of pure stories that adorned nearly every page was spellbinding. Rinako could have sworn that it was all some well-thought out novel. Except there was possibly no way that an author could get as detailed as Sachiko did. Especially in the tone. There was a sense of age and experience behind many of her words that no one could simply _create_ with such clarity. The bland, open statements, the somewhat sardonic tone; it sometimes simply left her dumbfounded. It was as if someone was evolving right before her very eyes.

It had been these specific memories, the minute details that no one could have known unless they'd lived it, that had brought Rinako to her conclusion. That Sesshoumaru really _was_ Sachiko. He wasn't some creature they'd made up out of nowhere to take Sachiko's soul. He _was_ her. In the _past_.

So, in essence, nothing had really changed. It was just Sachiko in a different body. That was all. The cool, collected, and infuriating silent Sachiko who would only speak when she wished to, if you wanted her to or not. The girl who would turn up her nose to Azarni's "demeaning activities". The girl who never smiled except for in extreme circumstances. The quiet preserved wisdom. The calculating gaze and steel-trap of a mind. The aggressive perfectionism. And, it seemed, a fondness for Rinako.

If that were true, then it had to be, by the same token, that Sesshoumaru shared some of Sachiko's other qualities, even if they weren't apparent as of yet. The way Sachiko would repay any debt owed to her and always kept her word. How she could be kind, as long as you didn't mention it afterwards. How she could actually make a dry joke once in a while, even if her odd sense of humor was rather out of Rinako's league. How she could be a patient as a stone if she liked you well enough. Her steadfast commitment to anything. Her quiet way of teaching you something, even if you didn't even know you were being taught. All the little things that had made the stoic Sachiko such a wonderful person to be around.

The only problem now, however, was to try to convince herself of her mind's factual conclusion. And then Azarni, if she was willing.

Rinako smiled dryly, her one hand coming up to rest over her abdomen, covering the book underneath her sash. It was her way to an answer; the pulling on the cord that raised the veil.

And not only to the mystery of the Sachiko and Sesshoumaru connection. She also kept finding references to the little girl, Rin. Rinako found herself eagerly searching for any news of the child. When she found it, it was mainly in the ancient writing, a tone edged with both grudging affection and wistfulness underneath the bland arrogance and cultured phrases that were constantly there. She was very intrigued by these pages. Some of the tales were humorous, despite the vague annoyance underlining the words. And yet, still other seemed downright terrifying to a child. Kidnappings, rushing rivers, falling off cliffs. How had the girl survived it all?

And yet, as Rinako stared out the window beside her to the forest beyond, she had to admit that it sounded like…well, _fun_. To go traipsing around the unpolluted countryside.

"Rinako! Would you quit daydreaming!" Azarni finally lost her patience, standing to her full height with hands on hips as she stared the taller girl down. "I don't like being ignored. Nor do I like your cryptic responses."

Rinako faced her friend, smiling at her lightly. "Azarni, you're acting like a spoiled little girl," she teased.

Azarni glared at her a moment more, before her shoulders slumped and she shook her head, fighting back a grin. "Rinako…"

Rinako beamed at her, spinning on her heel and clapping her on the shoulder. "Just don't worry, Azarni." She released her arm and crossed over to the other side of the room, where the empty breakfast table sat. "I wonder what we're getting today?"

Azarni opened her mouth, but then shut it and sighed. She shook her head. "I hate when you do that."

* * *

Sesshoumaru gave the item a dubious glance, his eyebrow raising slightly. They called _that_ a bathing tub? Seriously now, that little basin couldn't hold a puny human, let alone someone of his stature. Were they all imbeciles?

There was a swish behind him as the door was pushed open and then the sound of water sloshing in a bucket. Sesshoumaru glanced over his shoulder at Ryoichi, who was dragging a basketful of water into the small side chamber, his shoulder heaving under the strain. Grumbling something under his breath that Sesshoumaru did not care to listen to, he heaved the water up and over the side of the metal basin, allowing it to splash down into the liquid that was already waiting. He dropped the pail with a thud.

Sesshoumaru went to wrinkle his nose in distaste, but stopped himself. The water was at it's best lukewarm, not even reasonably close to an appropriate temperature. Couldn't they at _least_ do that for him, considering that they'd forced him to use such barbaric means to clean himself?

He'd never really missed the hot springs of the main stronghold until this moment.

Sighing internally, the taiyoukai glanced from the basin then down at himself. His once pristine white clothes were wrinkled and covered in mud, that annoying vermin clinging to the ends of his sleeves and taking up residence in all the folds of his hakama. His hair was coated in the dry, brittle, and vaguely toxic smelling substance as well. And he could just feel it underneath his claws.

He allowed himself to scowl this time. Damn it. This torture was a necessary evil, it appeared. He was _not_ going to remain in this shameful and detestable state any longer. One night had been hell enough.

But why did the water have to be so _cold_?

Ryoichi leaned against the tub, rubbing his side absently. Sesshoumaru pinned his gaze on him, waiting for a reaction. It wasn't short in coming. The young man noticed him almost immediately and straightened. He gestured to the basin, an awkward grin on his lips even as he gave the water a skeptical glance of his own.

"It's ready for you, Sesshoumaru-sama."

The taiyoukai didn't move. He gazed at Ryoichi steadily. "It's cold."

The tori jumped visibly, before laughing nervously. "Well…err…" His fingers gripped the steel sides and he glanced down for a minute. His head was up in the next instant, as if he remembered exactly who he was with. "It _was_ hot. Except it had to come from the back of the property and…" he fell silent, cringing slightly.

"I don't know how to fix it," he mumbled at last, when Sesshoumaru refused to say a word. Ryoichi paused, his dark eyes lighting up. "Unless…" Glancing up at Sesshoumaru, he bit his lip before asking. "Sesshoumaru-sama…may I ask you something?"

Ah. So the little tori had come up with a solution. Slightly curious as to what it might be, and not relishing the idea of getting into that miniscule basin of cold water, Sesshoumaru nodded.

Ryoichi gnawed on his lip again, before continuing. "Do you happen to…sense anyone here with…fire abilities?"

Both of Sesshoumaru's eyebrows jumped up at that, the closest he'd come to an incredulous look. "You do not know?"

Ryoichi twitched nervously. "Err…not really. At least not _me_, personally," he amended. "Yayoi probably does…"

"Hn…" Sesshoumaru grunted at the mention of the mongrel inu. He gave Ryoichi one last searching look, which made the tori fidget, before allowing his eyes to slide shut.

It was a simple matter to test the multiple auras swirling around the compound. What was surprising was, first, the sheer number—where _were_ they all? — and, second…they seemed much more youkai now than human. Which was odd.

Frowning slightly, he decided to ignore that for now and instead concentrate on finding the faint impression of sparks that always attested to a fire youkai. Granted, there was the elemental youkai, yet there were also those who utilized this element in lesser quantities.

Which there appear to not be any of here.

Rather annoyed, Sesshoumaru withdrew his senses slowly. And caught the approach of a halfblooded fire elemental. Who was, apparently, creeping towards his rooms.

Smirking mirthlessly, a faint twinge of his lips, he opened his eyes and turned his gaze to the door leading to the main sleeping chamber. "He has apparently taken note of your plight, tori."

Ryoichi made a small sound of confusion, before cautiously approaching the threshold. He leaned against the frame, looking out into the next room. "What do you mean by that?" He asked, turning back around.

Yet, before Sesshoumaru could answer—which he was not going to do—the tori's eyes abruptly narrowed and he marched out into the chamber. He paused and bowed to Sesshoumaru. "Pardon me a moment, Sesshoumaru-sama."

Sesshoumaru wandered over to the doorway, watching with some amusement as Ryoichi stalked across the room. He paused for a moment, before reaching out and whipping the door back with a sharp snap. Standing in the doorway, a comical expression of surprise etched on his face, was the man Sesshoumaru had sensed. Well, it was actually a boy—probably a year or so younger than Rinako, with hair a dark auburn color that seemed to be teetering on the edge of red.

"Kajiro," Ryoichi greeted, sternly, stepping into the other's direct line of sight.

Brown eyes blinked up at him. "What?"

Sesshoumaru shifted his weight to rest against the doorframe, planing to get some sort of entertainment out of the upcoming confrontation. He could feel the tori's annoyance clear enough. That, and the tori was practically steaming.

"What have you been told about coming here?" he asked in a very restrained tone, trying not to raised his voice although he clearly wished to.

The young man, Kajiro, shrugged. "Not to?" he supplied.

Ryoichi stiffened. "And then why have you come here?" he asked in that same strained voice.

The young man showed no guilt at all as he shrugged again. "Because."

Ryoichi sighed, audibly.

The taiyoukai had to give him credit—hesitantly, of course. Stupidity was _not_ something he, himself, dealt with well. So far, the tori had managed not to maim the idiot. An accomplishment indeed.

"Do you recall _why_ we told you not to come here?" The tori suddenly twitched, turning a bit to look behind him as _he_ remembered exactly who was behind him.

Feeling particularly playful—despite the mud—Sesshoumaru raised a questioning eyebrow as he clicked his claws against the wooden frame.

"Wow!"

Kajiro had edged around Ryoichi and was peering up at the taiyoukai with huge eyes. "Wow…" he repeated, quieter this time. "Damn, you're…well" he paused, before giving his characteristic shrug. "Hot. "

Sesshoumaru watched the boy with a twinge of puzzlement. Hot? What did that have to do with anything? And how could he tell if he was or not? It was as if he sweat or anything disgusting as that.

Ryoichi didn't give the young man a chance to elucidate his statement, grabbing him forcibly by the collar and shoving him bodily towards the door. "Excuse the idiot, Sesshoumaru-sama!" he gasped out, even as his cheeks turned an interesting shade of pink. He whipped around to hiss at his prisoner. "A man. _Man_! Didn't you listen to Yayoi?"

"Well, he's still hot," Kajiro insisted, digging his heels into the polished floor the best he could.

"Tori, I would not push your solution out so quickly," Sesshoumaru spoke up, dryly, as Ryoichi started to put some more weight into moving the persistent youth.

He stopped immediately, making Kajiro stumble. "Sesshoumaru-sama?"

The taiyoukai inclined his head in Kajiro's direction. "He carries the diluted blood of a fire elemental. Certainly he could do something as simple as warm water."

Kajiro perked up. "Sure! Let me help!" He pulled himself free of Ryoichi's slacken grasp. "Point out the way—" Ryoichi kicked him squarely in the shin before hissing something at him. "Sesshoumaru-sama," he added, glaring at the man beside him.

_Why must I always rely on idiots? _the taiyoukai questioned himself with a feeling of disgust.

It seemed so, in this matter. Much to his distaste.

"Understand that I have no tolerance for idiocy," Sesshoumaru reminded Ryoichi sharply, before pivoting on his heel and disappearing into the side room.

* * *

Ryoichi sighed, taking hold of Kajiro's arm and dragging him after his lord. "_Behave_," he threatened, digging his nails into the other man's arm. Kajiro didn't comment, too busy grinning.

He wanted to roll his eyes, but he thought better of it. Why was it that _this_ had to be the fire elemental? Kajiro was the last person he wanted Sesshoumaru to be in contact with. Natsuko was bad enough—at least she could act normal for a _few_ minutes at a time. But not Kajiro. He was always doing something stupid and unpredictable.

An old friend from high school, Kajiro had often spoken to Ryoichi of odd dreams he'd had to flying through the air on a red cloud. Although that wasn't exactly strange in itself, the fact that he had orange nails and streaming red hair in the vision was. And the fact that in those dreams something would whisper to him, telling him to use it.

After some background checks in the old books—which was how most of those here had ended up together—Yayoi had determined that he was in fact some sort of youkai. Although they didn't know what kind.

Now they did. Regretfully.

"I will, I will, don't worry." Kajiro waved him off. "Don't wanna keep hottie wai—"

Ryoichi grabbed his collar again, efficiently cutting him off. Yanking his face close to his own, he hissed, lowly. "You are _so_ damn lucky he doesn't know that slang. Or, I'd say your head would be rolling on the floor right about now. So _shut up_ while you're ahead. _Got_ it?"

Kajiro didn't even look the slightest bit affected "'Kay."

Ryoichi had had enough. Shoving him forward, he muttered, coldly. "Fine. Don't listen to me. Die for all I fuckin' care. I warned you."

_That_ seemed to get his attention. "'Ichi?" he asked uncertainly with a small frown.

Ryoichi didn't reply, walking around him and into the next room. Sesshoumaru was there, seated on one of the tatami mats and watching the door. His whole presence seemed larger in this much smaller room, even if he was simply sitting still. Ryoichi moved over to the now cold tub and heard Kajiro plod in behind him, surprisingly silent.

"We need you to heat this," he remarked, indicating the basin with one hand.

"Couldn't you just use hot water in the bathroom?" Kajiro asked, puzzled.

"There are no bathrooms _here_," he stressed the word here, giving Kajiro a sharp look. "So we must bring it in ourselves."

The young man gave him a befuddled glance, before something clicked behind his eyes. "Ohhh…" he replied, nodding. "Yeah, yeah, I remember now. Yayoi said that—"

"Yes, I _know_ what she said. Just heat the water."

There was a silence. "How?"

Ryoichi strangled the urge to smack his head on the metal tub. Of course. Kajiro wouldn't know the first thing about using his magic. Neither did Ryoichi. He didn't even know if he _had_ any.

Suddenly nervous, Ryoichi glanced over at the taiyoukai, who was watching them from the other side of the room. He looked almost thoughtful—or at least Ryoichi hoped it wasn't just his imagination.

"Err…is this supposed to be one of my youkai abilities?" Kajiro asked, scratching his head. He glanced over at Sesshoumaru once nervously; finally seeming unnerved by the taiyoukai's presence.

"Yes…" Ryoichi replied, giving Sesshoumaru a sidelong glance. "So…get at it."

Kajiro fidgeted, wringing his hands. "Umm…okay…."

All sense of arrogance lost, the young man edged over to the still water. Reaching out cautiously, he hovered his hand over the basin. He stared down into it blankly. "Ummm…yeah…." He commented, lamely.

"Concentrate." Two heads leapt up at Sesshoumaru's voice. His eyes were closed, hand resting placidly on his knee. "Focus on your aura. Feel for the spark and draw it out."

Kajiro stared at him as if he'd suddenly grow six more heads. Then he glanced back down at the water. "Sure…" Shutting his eyes, he took a breath and held it in.

Ryoichi regarded him in silence. There was nothing for a long while until a faint prickling hit the edge of his senses. It soon became a small ripple of youki; similar to the one Yayoi had displayed before. Ryoichi watched on in wonder as Kaijiro's hand started to radiate a faint orange light. The young man's face twisted into a grimace of concentration, curling his fingers up then splaying them out against the water.

At that instant a stronger, more developed aura knocked against Ryoichi's senses and he knew who it was immediately. Looking away from the sight in front of him, he focussed on the taiyoukai, who was regarding the whole spectacle with apparent interest. But that was it. There wasn't anything threatening about him. Then why did he notice his youki now?

Puzzled, Ryoichi turned back to Kajiro and jumped in surprise. The young man's hair had transformed into a bright red color. And, underneath his fingers, the water was just beginning to boil, a few bubbles floating to the surface.

Ryoichi stared at him in awe until he heard Sesshoumaru move behind him. The taiyoukai was untying the knot of his obi with his one remaining hand, apparently knowing that Kajiro was almost finished. Ryoichi, remembering his duties, moved over to assist him.

But, when he reached out a hand, he stopped, noticing his sudden acquisition of claws. They clicked together as he fisted his one hand in shock. When had _that _happened? They had been gone last night.

Ryoichi glanced from Kajiro and back to Sesshoumaru. He noticed the taiyoukai giving him what had to be a knowing look. "Tori's are sensitive to change," he remarked, before throwing his obi at him and pushing his left sleeve off his shoulder, revealing the layer underneath.

Nodding dumbly, Ryoichi set the long segment of bright colored silk aside. Only to have Sesshoumaru throw his haori at him. It landed on his head and he scrambled to get it off. Once it was in his hands, he looked up at Sesshoumaru sheepishly, who gave him his customary opaque stare, before folding it neatly and setting it aside.

"That's quite enough," the taiyoukai said, suddenly. Ryoichi glanced up at him, thinking that he was speaking to him. But, Sesshoumaru's attention was on Kajiro, who opened his eyes for the first time in about five minutes. The water was bubbling merrily under his fingers.

With his concentration broken, the glow faded from his fingertips. Dark red eyes stared fixedly at his hands in a mixture of fear and delight. "Damn…"

"Nothing extraordinary, " the taiyoukai remarked as he began to divest himself of the rest of his clothing. He stopped before taking his underclothes off, raising an eyebrow at both of the partial youkai who were staring at him. "I have seen fire elemental engulf whole estates in flames. Heating water is nothing in comparison."

Ryoichi nodded, but, upon glancing at Kajiro, he knew that the other man was staring at Sesshoumaru for a highly different reason than an explanation.

"Well, off you go now, Kajiro," he remarked, cheerfully, before pushing the other man towards the door.

Kajiro stumbled, nearly toppling over as he hit the doorframe with a sharp crack. Ryoichi froze, raising a hand to his face. He'd done that? But it had only been a tiny shove…

"So pushy!" Kajiro cried indignantly, straightening up and dusting himself off. Ryoichi stood stiff, not sure exactly what to make of the situation.

The whole moment was interrupted by the slosh of water behind them. Ryoichi spun around and the taiyoukai had gone ahead and continued on without them, having sat in the still boiling water. He didn't look very pleased, however, especially since he had to bend his knees slightly in order to fit into the tub. The lip of the basin came to his chest and some of his long hair spilled out over the sides, inches from hitting the floor. The rest of it was in the tub, sticking to the metal sides and to the painfully pale skin on his muscled chest. The stump of his missing arm stood out sharply—a blatant imperfection.

"Your Yayoi seems to have miscalculated my size," he remarked, dryly, seemingly unfazed that they were both staring at him. He tossed his head, dragging some of his wayward locks back into the water. "I hope you have something to clean up this mud, yes?" His keen eyes pinned on Ryoichi once again.

"Y-yes…of course." Forgetting about Kajiro, he hurried over to the other side of the room and extracted a bar of soap from the pile of towels and clean clothing he'd brought in earlier. "Here it is…"

He went to hand it to Sesshoumaru, but stopped when the taiyoukai gave it a clearly disdainful look. "What is that made of?"

Ryoichi gave the soap a quick glance. "Umm…soap…" he stated, slowly. He didn't know what soap was made of! Especially not now.

"It smells fake." Yet, as he said this, the taiyoukai gathered up most of his hair in his good hand, pulling it over to Ryoichi's side of the tub. The ends were stained brown. He held them out to the tori youkai. "But it has to be better than this mud."

Ryoichi blinked at him. "What do you want me to do with…" he trailed off. He gave the long silver strands an odd look. "You want me to wash your hair?"

Sesshoumaru's mask broke enough so that an expression of annoyance flashed over his features. "Normally, I would do so myself, but it is rather…awkward with only one hand." His eyes turned dangerous and Ryoichi had the impression that this was a touchy subject with his pride. And that he didn't like having to ask for assistance.

Ryoichi hesitated a moment. He hadn't been thinking earlier when Sesshoumaru had demanded a bath be set up. He hadn't realized that he would have to _help_ him.

The thought of washing the hair of a youkai who could easily rip his head off didn't settle well with him. For obvious reasons.

"If you don't wanna do it, I will!" Kajiro piped up suddenly from his position near the door.

"No, Kajiro, you sit out there in the other room, in the event that we need the water heated again." He made a shooing motion with his hands before taking the taiyoukai's hair with tentative fingers. His claws—which hadn't receded yet, oddly enough—kept getting tangled as he began to work the soap into the youkai's long tresses.

Sesshoumaru, now that the hair dilemma was taken care of, went on to using the talon on his thumb to clean the dirt out from underneath the others.

"You sure you don't need a hand?" Kajiro tried again, slinking halfway around the doorframe.

"No," Ryoichi answered curtly. He was finally getting the hang of maneuvering his fingers through the thick hair in his grasp. He rubbed it between his palms, being careful not to pull too much, but at the same time to not be too gentle that the taiyoukai thought he was going easy on him.

"If you are offering, I will take yours," Sesshoumaru spoke up out of the blue, immersing his now clean claws under the water. "Although I would rather have a full-blooded substitute." And apparently he was completely serious, if his flat tone was anything to go by.

Kajiro blanched, just as Ryoichi's fingers accidentally snagged in the taiyoukai's hair as he jerked in shock.

"Substitute…?"

"It is awkward having only a right arm, as you have seen," Sesshoumaru replied, not even turning to face him. "However, I could always take yours from you for my own personal use."

Ryoichi bit back a startled laugh as Kajiro squirmed. "Noo…you wouldn't want mine. I'll just be around this corner here and…yeah…" His head disappeared around the frame and Ryoichi heard him shuffle to the other side of the room.

Sesshoumaru didn't seem to be bothered by anything. He simply tipped his head back in a silent signal. Ryoichi obliged him, starting to work on his scalp.

Silence fell around them, punctuated by the sound of Ryoichi's fingers ruffling the taiyoukai's hair. Oddly enough, as he worked, Ryoichi felt himself begin to relax. He didn't really care that he was in close contact with a legendary creature. He simply relished the calmness of the room, and the strangely mellow youki that swirled about him. Apparently Sesshoumaru didn't feel threatened by his presence.

Or perhaps it was simply because he knew that Ryoichi couldn't do anything to him, even if he'd want to. Anything and _live_, at any rate.

Rinsing that long mane appeared that it would be a treat all in itself. Sending Kajiro out to get another basin was the only option Ryoichi could think of, and thus he had to tolerate the fire-element's presence one more time. Yet, he seemed very subdued, especially when Sesshoumaru turned one eye on him.

It was then that Ryoichi got the very absurd impression that the taiyoukai was...teasing the boy. Or at least torturing him for his own amusement. This idea went against all the tales and histories that he'd heard about him—nowhere had it mentioned a sense of humor. Perverse humor, perhaps, but humor nonetheless.

Ryoichi contemplated this as Kajiro hurried away on his task. He sat upon the mats, half-turned away from the tub as Sesshoumaru did whatever he was doing. The only sound was the faint lapping of the water against the metal sides, and a gentle clack as Ryoichi tapped his claws together.

Things weren't anything like he'd expected them to be. Not Sesshoumaru, the situation, or even himself. If someone had told him at the beginning of this whole endeavor that he would be playing chamber-maid to the taiyoukai, that said youkai would be sitting in a bathtub quietly as he washed his hair, or that he'd be doing such an action with claws…he'd have called them insane.

Ryoichi was too amazed to be frightened any longer.

"That will not make them disappear, tori."

"Wha…?" Ryoichi's head snapped up at taiyoukai's voice.

"Rapping them as you are—it will do nothing to them."

Water sloshed and trickled as the youkai moved about, but Ryoichi didn't look. He stared intently at the thick nails. "They left before…"

"Hn…" the taiyoukai voiced, his tone neutral. Ryoichi wasn't sure if it was disbelief or annoyance. He still didn't know for sure when Sesshoumaru continued. "A tori is more susceptible to change—no matter how minute."

Ryoichi tore his gaze away from his hands in shock, glancing back at the taiyoukai. Only to get a nice view of his stringy, soapy hair clinging to his broad, muscular shoulders and back.

Ryoichi didn't know why he was feeling so uncomfortable with that sight. He had no reason to blush… "So…so…what you're saying is…is that…" He didn't know what he was trying to say.

"You are a tori youkai."

Ryoichi didn't understand what he was getting at. But, before he could even open his mouth and attempt to ask, a familiar voice called out from the other room.

"Ryoichi…I got it…I'll just leave it here and…"

Hurrying out into the adjacent chamber, Ryoichi snagged the new pail before the other young man could finish, and then disappeared back into the wash room. Sesshoumaru didn't even look back as he nearly slammed it down behind him, before reaching for the bucket he'd used to fill the tub.

"I think I can rinse it now."

He didn't get a reply. Cautiously inching around towards the front of the tub, Ryoichi noticed that the taiyoukai's eyes were closed. Sighing in silent relief, he went to dump the bucket into the water.

Sesshoumaru cracked open one golden eye just as the rim hit the surface. "Hn…I would have thought a newer decade would cease relying on such primitive means. "

Ryoichi didn't reply. He kept his eyes fixed firmly on the upper portion of the container. Once it was full he dragged it out and went around back again. Manhandling the thick locks over the mouth of the basin Kajiro had brought in, he made an attempt to wash them clean. It took a few more trips and nearly soaking himself before it was done.

He couldn't understand how the taiyoukai had been able to live with hair like that.

Ryoichi was further dismayed when Sesshoumaru took the opportunity to shake his head, long waves of hair splattering Ryoichi with even more water. Tossing it all to one side, the taiyoukai rose without preamble from the cooling bath.

It was then that Ryoichi realized why he'd been so uncomfortable. He felt so negligible, puny, and plain compared to the taiyoukai. No one had the right to be that…imposing, especially after they'd just been resurrected!

The mere absurdity of that thought hit Ryoichi like a brick. How many people did he _know_ who were resurrected, anyhow? Or how many of them were ancient demons trained in the art of battle?

If the situation had been any different, Ryoichi would have pleaded to be allowed back into reality. But this _was_ reality. Oddly enough.

Sesshoumaru, for his part, only raised an eyebrow, before asking, in a bored tone. "Robe?"

"Ah…yes…"

Scurrying over to the pile of clothing he'd brought in earlier, he gathered up the dark material. And then he remembered. This was the last bit of clothing they had for him. Yayoi hadn't planned on him needing a change so soon.

Thank goodness Natsuko would be leaving tonight to get the other articles Yayoi had ordered. He didn't think Sesshoumaru would be overly pleased with his limited wardrobe.

Ryoichi helped the taiyoukai shrug into the thinner fabric, trying his best to ignore the sight of the stump. A stump that apparently he could still move. Seeing that stub of flesh flex enough to slide into the sleeve was nauseating.

Sesshoumaru's voice was unexpected. "I want Rinako brought to me."

Ryoichi almost dropped the right sleeve. "Rin…Rinako?"

"Yes." The taiyoukai pulled away from him, using his remaining arm to fumble the knot together in the front, before pulling the wet locks of hair out from underneath.

He looked strangely…approachable wearing the simply blue robe and not the rich white ensemble. And having his hair still wet and rope-like only added to the image. Looking at his back, Ryoichi could almost make himself believe that this wasn't a demon at all.

Until he spoke again, that is. The impassive, commanding tone could belong to nothing less. "Send for her now."

Ryoichi bowed, promptly. Not trusting himself to say something that wasn't mindless babble, he left the room. Kajiro sat with his back to the bathing room, ear pressed against the thin partition between them. He visibly jumped when Ryoichi appeared.

"Err…you guys done?" he asked, sheepishly.

"Yeah…." Ryoichi didn't care about him right now. He was old news.

"Hey, is Rinako one of them chicks you guys brought in earlier?"

Now he took notice. Ryoichi narrowed his eyes as he gazed at the younger man. "Why do you want to know?"

"Well…I could go get her, if you want."

He should have felt suspicious, or even wary. But all Ryoichi felt now was relief. He didn't want to have to bring Rinako here. Not on his own. He couldn't disobey Sesshoumaru's orders by not retrieving her, but he sure as hell would do his best not to do so himself.

If it meant trusting Kajiro for a little longer, he could handle it.

"Go ahead. It'll be much appreciated." He paused, remembering something. Or rather, someone. "There's another girl with her. Do you know anyone who would be willing to stay with her? Someone who won't…scare her?"

Kajiro thought about it for a moment, gnawing his bottom lip. Luckily, he didn't have fangs. "Actually, yeah, I think I do. Sei, one of the girls…I think she'd a rat or something…"

Ryoichi thought hard, trying to recall the name. "No…mouse, I think…"

Kajiro snorted. "Whatever. Want me to get her, too?"

"Yeah…and tell her to be nice to the girl…Azarni, would you?"

"Sure!" Kajiro seemed more than happy to be leaving again. He even waved as the door slide shut behind him.

Ryoichi sighed in relief, shoulder sagging with the effort. When he looked up, he had to do a double take.

Sesshoumaru was out in the main room, over by the doors to the terrace. How'd he gotten there without Ryoichi noticing him—since he was standing right beside the bathing room's door—was something he'd rather not contemplate.

Now that Kajiro was gone, and it was just the two of them again, Ryoichi couldn't help fidgeting in the stiff quiet. Shifting from foot to foot as slowly and quietly as he could, one half of him began to anticipate the girl's arrival. He just couldn't help it.

* * *

Rinako had long since given up on questioning the sanity of what was happening to her. Now she just followed warily behind the strange man she'd never met before as he took her to see what he referred to as "that damn creepy demon."

She kept stealing little glances at the stranger, already having figured him to be on of the "staff" here. He seemed much too light-hearted to be a demon. He'd nearly hopped into their room, nearly scaring Azarni to death. With him had been a woman that he'd said would stay with Azarni as Rinako was brought to see Sesshoumaru.

She didn't know what was more frightening. Leaving Azarni with that unknown woman by herself or seeing the youkai again. It wasn't as if she had a choice either way…

Poor Azarni…left all alone again. Hopefully that new woman wouldn't scare her…

Kajiro grew more and more jittery the closer they came to the familiar door. He glanced back at her a few times before speaking, very softly. "Man, you have balls, girl. You don't seem scared at all."

Rinako was thrown off by that compliment. She didn't? She took a moment to focus on herself and not the young man before her, and she noticed that her heart wasn't pounding in fear. Nor was she sweating or ready to run.

Did that mean she wasn't scared of the youkai anymore?

Rinako was still pondering this turn of events when Kajiro dropped her off at the door. He rapped his knuckles once on the doorframe before literally running down the hall and around the corner. He paused long enough to wish her a quick good luck before disappearing all together.

Confused –but not unnerved—by his sudden departure, Rinako was staring at the corner when the door in front of her was thrown open.

A thoroughly drenched Ryoichi stood before her. His hair was damp and thrown into disarray. There was a strained look about his eyes, as if his nerves were running at an end.

"Hello, Rinako-san!" He nearly shouted at her. Then he winced and drew back slightly. "So sorry…I…I'm just a little tense…" His smile wavered slightly as he turned it on her. "Come on in…"

Gathering the sleeves of her voluminous kimono about her, Rinako stepped into the room as gracefully as she could. And she silently thanked Azarni and her family for taking her to all those formal ceremonies so that she had some idea how to walk in the conglomerate of fabrics. The last thing she wanted to do was to fall over on her face. Both in Ryoichi and Sesshoumaru's presence.

The youkai was standing by the open doors, very similar to the last time she'd seen him in this room. But he was dressed differently now, in a much simpler style. And, on looking closer, she saw that his long hair was wet and snarled. It was also making a sizeable puddle on the waxed floorboards at his bare feet.

Steeling her nerve, she walked halfway into the room, Ryoichi shadowing her. Bringing to mind all that she'd read last night, Rinako did her best to remind herself that he wasn't that scary. Not at all…

"Sesshoumaru-sama."

There was a moment of silence that Rinako thought wouldn't be broken. But, surprisingly enough, he answered her. "Rinako-san." He turned his head; those shimmering eyes pinned on her. He regarded her steadily for a long moment. Rinako stood tall; she was more surprised than afraid. Surprised that she wasn't ready to run in terror.

_Remember Sachiko_, she told herself. _He's just like her, remember._

Something he saw in her must have pleased him somehow, for his eyes lost some of their intensity. With a swift movement he gathered up that sopping hair and entered the room again. He then did something neither Rinako nor Ryoichi expected.

He sat down on one of floor cushions with his back to them both. And then, glancing over a Rinako once more, he let the hair loose to trail to the floor. "Would you?"

Rinako was ready to pinch herself, to see if she was awake. She stared at the long silver silk with bated breath, not really believing what was going on. Was _he_ asking _her_ to… comb his hair?

It was absurd.

That was the thought that flashed through her mind as she knelt behind him. That was the thought she ignored when she replied. "Of course."

She'd helped Sachiko with her hair countless times.

Rinako was sure that Ryoichi was going to keel over. The look on his face was nearly priceless. "Do you have a brush, Ryoichi-san?" She asked, politely.

"Ah…yes…yes, I think we do. Hold on a minute…" He disappeared into an adjoining room that she hadn't noticed before. She saw a large metal basin inside, and a bundle of discarded clothing. It wasn't difficult to figure out why Sesshoumaru's hair was wet. But she couldn't help but wonder why they'd used _that_ method of bathing.

The main room was silent as Ryoichi rummaged around for a comb in the other chamber. Rinako sat with her hands in her lap. She stared at the ghostly strands before her with unseeing eyes as she listened for any signs of movement from the youkai in front of her. There were none. He didn't even turn to see what she was doing.

Yet, oddly enough…the situation wasn't as tense as she'd expected. That cold feeling in the air that she usually felt in his presence wasn't there now. Everything about him seemed strangely mellow.

Ryoichi soon returned with a comb that appeared to be made of real wood, and a towel. Giving Sesshoumaru a sideways glance, he approached slowly and handed them over. Then he stepped back.

Rinako began doing what she's been asked immediately, starting at the ends that were piled at her knees. She hesitated slightly before picking them up, but she pushed her reservations aside. Her hands only shook very slightly, almost unnoticeable, as she began.

The stands of hair felt like silk sliding through her fingers. Even wet and somewhat tangled, it managed to slip through the teeth of the comb effortlessly, tumbling to gracefully collect in the towel in her lap. It was thick enough to be a blanket in its sodden state, an actual noticeable weight on her legs. There was an odd texture to the actual hair itself that Rinako couldn't quite name, but one thing was for sure—it wasn't something she'd equate with any other hair she'd ever touched.

The silence stretched on. Although not caused by fear, it was still beginning to wear on her. Rinako did not like quiet very much, being much more interested in conversation if able. Which she was, now. Besides, she had talked to him before. Many times, actually.

So she gave it a shot.

"There's a lot of hair here, Sesshoumaru-sama."

Her only reply was an odd look from Ryoichi. But she would not be deterred.

"I've never seen someone have so much of it. And have it in such good shape, too."

Sesshoumaru moved, finally, dipping his head forward an inch. "Hmm…" It was a noncommittal sound; almost as if he wasn't quite listening to her, but it was a response nonetheless.

Quiet fell about them again. Rinako shifted her position slightly so she could reach higher. Her mind struggled for something to say. Something neutral that would make this seem just like a normal circumstance.

Her mind recalled a familiar little book, and she got an idea. She was going to see if what Sachiko had written was true. If Sesshoumaru reacted to one of the stories, there could be no doubt that they were real memories. His memories.

Weeding through the tangle of information she'd ingested last night, she searched for the simplest story she could remember.

"Do you mind if I tell you a story, Sesshoumaru-sama?"

Ryoichi made a slight sound behind her, but she ignored him. Apparently, Sesshoumaru did as well. "As you wish," he replied, languidly.

"Many, many years ago," she began, raising up even higher on her knees to work on another area. Her fingers trailed after the comb, slipping through the pearly locks without even realizing it. "There was a great lord. One who held an amazing amount of land and prestige. When his reign first began, he was considered young by many—too young in fact. Yet, he had seen much in his youth that gave him enough wisdom to rival that of many of his accusers.

"But that gained knowledge couldn't keep the familiar emotional flaws of youth away. Arrogance, pride, and a sense of invincibility were the downfall of many young men." Rinako paused, trying to find the words to flesh out Sachiko's writing. She could feel Ryoichi's questioning eyes on her, but she continued her gentle ministrations without a pause.

To her surprise, the strands in her hands slide to the side. Looking up, she found that the youkai had turned around to glance at her over his shoulder. The one gold eye that she could see was unreadable. "That was rather short, Rinako-san."

Was that amusement she heard? Rinako wasn't sure. But she was going to go with it. "No, no, Sesshoumaru-sama. I'm just trying to remember it all." She smiled, before lowering her eyes to her work again. "I'm not pulling, am I?"

It was so mundane, this conversation. It really wasn't as hard as she'd thought.

"No." There seemed to be more that he wanted to say, but he turned around again. "Go on," he said at last, his tone too mild to be an order.

And so she did. "Well, this young lord spent much of his time traveling. As I said, his land was vast and he needed to see to it all. During these travels he found himself facing many battles, both those of swords as well as politics. But soon, through all these hardships, he made a name for himself. A name that was feared."

"And what was this name?" The sudden interruption made Rinako drop the comb. Drawing in a steadying breath, she reached down for it, hesitating slightly, before answering.

"That is not part of the tale, Sesshoumaru-sama."

"If it is true, then any man of such rank would have his name mentioned."

"Ah, but the story isn't over yet," she scolded, lightly, without thought. "You do not know if it will turn out to be a good one. "

The youkai grunted softly. She couldn't tell if it was in agreement or annoyance.

"If you really wish for a name, Sesshoumaru-sama, I can give him one," she added, tentatively. Perhaps a false name would make it seem less obvious whom the tale was really about.

"Do as you wish."

"Hmm…" she pondered, aloud, as her hands continued working. "I think I've come up with something…" Glancing over her shoulder, she looked at the young man who was there, watching them. His look of shock seemed to have faded some, and now he was slowly beginning to relax.

"Ryoichi-san," she began.

Ryoichi's head popped up. "Yes?"

"May I use your name, Ryoichi-san? Or, should I say, Ryoichi-sama?"

His mouth fell open. It took a second for him to reply. "Ah…whatever you want…."

Giving him a friendly smile, Rinako turned back around. "Is that all right with you, Sesshoumaru-sama?"

The youkai did not turn around. "The tori may catch on fire if you do so. "

_What?_ Rinako faced Ryoichi again and saw that he was blushing fiercely. It was actually rather cute. _So, that's what he meant…_ She couldn't hold back a giggle. "I hope this isn't embarrassing, Ryoichi-san."

If possible, Ryoichi seemed to grow even redder. "Err…no, Rinako-san. I'm fine…" He took a deep breath, before giving her a wavering smile. "See?"

"Hmm." She paused. Then she grinned. "So, this _Tori-sama_," she glanced over at Ryoichi and saw him relax slightly. "This Tori-sama was soon known all throughout the land to be powerful as well as merciless. And he was so, taking down any who opposed him without any hesitation. Some even called him cruel, although he did not think it so.

"However, this new power under his hands did nothing to diminish the pride of his youth. In fact, it may have strengthened it. The pride was not unfounded, of course, but even pride built on a foundation can cause one to fall.

"Tori-sama did not so much as fall as stumble. For, one day, in his many battles, he met someone he could _not_ defeat. This someone would have even been able to defeat _him_ if his greatest power did not draw him away."

The back in front of her tensed the slightest bit under her hand. If she hadn't been so near she would have never noticed. Her fingers smoothed down the locks of hair in an unconscious soothing gesture as she continued. She had both of the males' attention now.

"Yes, Tori-sama had been given quite the unusual power. It was one of healing and life. He did not use it often, as it was not his way.

"This power was wiser than he was, most assuredly. It was able to induce him into leaving the battle, wounded as he was. It was even great enough to move him to a place where he could heal without catching his enemies' attention."

Sesshoumaru turned around then, giving her his one-eyed stare over his shoulder, but Rinako kept combing, nearing his shoulder with her work. She did not even glance at him as she went on.

"And Tori-sama did heal, rather quickly. But, during that time, he made the discovery of a little child in the woods. This child was a peasant without a home, wary of the great lord, yet not afraid…"

A vision of a wood suddenly flashed through Rinako's mind, and her fingers stumbled. It was a mellow place of greenery, full of muted shades of brown and gray. That was why the white shape at the one tree was so noticeable…standing out like a flower amongst the grass…

Rinako drew in a sharp breath. She…she could see it…She just didn't know what it was…

Running, running…she could remember running. There were angry people behind her, so she left. Into the woods and through the bramble. It cut at her face, scratched her arms. A butterfly…then the clearing. She'd never seen someone like that before, she remembered…but what was it? What was it that she was looking at…? All that was there was white….

But she was not afraid…

"Rinako-san?"

Ryoichi's voice snapped Rinako out of her thoughts. She blinked, trying to clear her mind. She noticed that she'd dropped the comb again, although not remembering when. Rinako bent down to retrieve it. When she looked up again, she was face to face with the demon in front of her. She almost dropped it again in shock.

Sesshoumaru was giving her an inscrutable look, his eyes a shade darker than she remembered. "That is not a proper ending, Rinako-san." His tone was dull, but she knew there was something else going on behind those abnormal eyes. She just _knew_, somehow.

Rinako did her best to fit a calm, friendly smile on her lips. "I'm fine, Sesshoumaru-sama. Ryoichi-san. Just got lost in thought for a moment… It reminded me of something…"

"Reminded you of something?" Sesshoumaru repeated, almost thoughtfully, before—to Rinako's relief—he turned back around. "A powerful memory, it would seem."

"Hai…" She didn't really know if that was a question, but she answered anyhow.

Rinako sat still, letting the remnants of those scenes flash through her mind. She didn't know where they had come from…perhaps from reading Sachiko's journal too thoroughly? But, she didn't remember something like that being in there…. The forest had been so real…

"And this girl?"

"Hmm? Oh…yes. The girl." Rinako began working on his hair again. "She brought the lord many humble offerings of food, although she did not have much of it herself. She would come every day as the lord healed. One night she came with bruises. Tori-sama did not know where they had come from, yet he did know that they'd upset the child. Yet, when asked, the child would not speak.

"Soon the day came when the lord could be on his way. On that day, the little girl did not show. Thinking she had lost interest, Tori-sama left. Using the trail, he began towards his lands. Only to meet the bloody, mutilated corpse of the child in the middle of the road. It appeared to have been the work of…"

Enormous teeth glared down at her, their lengths shimmering in the pale light. They were smeared red. Then there was pain, piecing her leg, her wrist, her neck. There was a snap, then a squishing sound, and always those needles of tearing pain.

Rinako gasped, inaudibly, her nails digging into the white under her hands. She made contact with something solid, something warm. Whatever it was, it was taut under her grip. Something smooth trailed over her face, like silk, as she leaned closer.

"...wolves," she managed to get out, in a strangled voice "They'd torn the little girl to shreds, leaving her alone on the cold trail. Her sightless, tortured eyes must have done something to the lord, for, upon seeing her, he'd drawn upon the power that he'd never used on someone else. The great power that had saved his life not long ago. This same power saved the girl's life, bringing her back from the dead."

Rinako vaguely heard a voice behind her, but she did not acknowledge it. Her grip remained firm on whatever was in her hold, grounding her to reality. But that did not stop the flash of gold from taking over her mind for a split second.

She was determined to finish her story.

"He saved the girl that day. He took that little girl from her old lonely life and brought her home with him. The cold, ruthless lord forgot his pride in an instance of compassion. And, as I would think the story goes, he lived the better for it!"

"Rinako-san!"

It took Rinako a while to gain her senses. All she could see was white and gold, folded around her. Then she opened her eyes and saw ever more white. But this time it was real, she could feel strands of it poking her eyes.

And that's when she realized exactly what she was holding on to. The name was like a spear through her mind.

Sesshoumaru.

Rinako lifted her head slowly from where it had been buried into the damp hair in front of her. She released the death grip she had on the thin material of his clothing just as carefully. She stared at his back as if she was afraid it would bite her. Or he would.

A vaguely familiar hand touched her arm. Rinako distantly noticed the new talons. "What happened, Rinako-san? Are you all right?" Ryoichi leaned around her to peer into her face.

All she could do was stare at the youkai in front of her.

"Se…Se…Sesshoumaru-sama…." It was barely a movement of her lips, but she knew he heard her. It was a moment before he replied, completely calm and unfazed.

"You appear to become very involved with your storytelling, Rinako-san." He kept his back to them, for which Rinako was grateful. She didn't know what she would do at that moment if he looked at her.

She was also very grateful that he wasn't angry. Or at least angry enough to rip off her head.

Which, thinking on it, Rinako realized was a ludicrous thought. He wouldn't hurt her…

But she was still going to apologize.

"I'm very sorry, Sesshoumaru-sama… "

"Hnn…" He brushed it off easily, and Rinako felt relieved.

Something dawned on her then. It was as if someone slapped her in the back of the head. Something inside her told her it was important that she know the answer. "Sesshoumaru-sama…how did you know the child was a little girl?"

He looked at her then, rotating his head slowly to give her that same hard stare as always. Time seemed to stop as she waited, her heart drumming in her ears. This was something significant. So significant…

He didn't answer. The whole moment was interrupted by a scream echoing down the hall.

All three heads snapped up.

Rinako knew who it was immediately. Her chest constricted. "Azarni!" She called out, her voice suddenly hoarse.

Sesshoumaru's eyes jumped to her, and before she could even blink once, he was gone.

---

DONE!!! Yay!! Ummm….

**BEWARE!** _Really_ long A/N!

I was going to tack more on here, but I've been so slow (not to mention computer crashes, waiting for a new one, and then saving all my old files…) getting this part done, that I'll cut it into two chapters. (I reeeeallly dislike the first 3/4th of this chapter… Bah )

Anyway, let me get to the shit load of babbling nonsense that is my A/N (1/2 of it's been sitting at the end of this document ever since I began this chapter….OO….)

I'll go in somewhat of an order here…

Yes, a Sachiko moment! Why did I put that in there? Umm……..don't ask.

Referring to the slang (there should be an asterisk next to it to indicate a note, but this damn site keeps erasing it....) I've heard somewhere that, used in that context, it should be spelled hott. I'm not very good with popular slang (since I never use it) so let's not go into the proper spelling of it…. Besides, it's from Sesshoumaru's point of view, and since he doesn't know what it is, why should I?

Hmmm…the bath scene is icky… Done very poorly… --beats Sess with a stick-- Stay IC!!! Damn you!! --gets eaten-- Ur….?

And yes, I added another OC. –hides-- This was simply to show that there ARE other people there besides our Lovely Six. He's mainly an annoyance now, but he might come in later. Don't know yet. (I only have the very basics of this planned out so far. Which gets morphed into something else most of the time. My notes are basically only there so that if I get behind in a chapter, I can remember what the next will be about!)

This topic leads me here:

Original Characters: I have a few of those, don't I? And since they keep popping up, I'll ask how much they bug you. Fanfiction isn't really a place for OCs unless they are well-done (I've discovered that throughout my fanfiction "travels".) Sooo, I'm asking _your_ opinion on the ones here. Are they any good? What do you like/dislike about them? How badly do they annoy you? Feel free to leave a little something in your reviews about them. (And don't forget the other stuff that I usually get! I'm being a comment whore. ;;)

Next step—the story within a story . I've been planning that since the beginning, yet it wasn't until I actually began writing it now that I even knew what the story would actually be _about_. And, by reading it, I think you can tell what it was supposed to accomplish. I happen to think it came out rather well.

Although the cliffhanger sucks….. Muchly…. –sigh—

Anyway, there's more!

News:

I've had a few comments from various people on my tendency to have grammar/spelling mistakes. And I have to apologize for that; I know how distracting they can be. But, as this is just a hobby, and my beta doesn't want to read this monster (hn…), I really don't have the time to read this over as carefully as I want to. But, as it is, I'll probably be going through this soon and fixing some of the bigger problems, such as those glaringly obvious mistakes and the messed up spacing (where it should be double-spaced it ended up single.) I don't know _exactly _when I'll get to it, so hang with me. I'd rather get the whole story down with little mistakes then get stuck in the re-re-re-editing. (I do read through this at _least _two times fully. Along with that, I always scan over the last parts that I'd just written before going on.)

But, for all our sakes, I'm going to keep trying to be as careful as I can (and maybe kick my beta into gear.... or find another one...)

If there happens to be any errors that simply glare out at you big time, and you remember where they are, don't be afraid to drop me a line (such an ugly, cliched phrase…--….).

Another little note of interest: As it stands, this giant, mind-consuming piece of literature is 95 typed pages (including A/N's) and has 67,502 words. And it is 446KB. Oo…

Damn…I write too much….

Oh well….

Next Time: We see what's buggin' Azarni, then we see a little bit more about Natsuko's Sensei.

Let's see how long this one'll take me… (--….)


	11. Insight

****

Memory of a Soul  
Airian Reesu

Chapter Eleven: Insight

Azarni refused to turn away from the window. She stood in front of it, her hands gripping the small frame. The door had closed long ago, taking Rinako away. Away to see a monster.

Now some woman stood there, waiting for her to move. Azarni had heard that man say that she was here to make sure she didn't get lonely.

She was already lonely. And she was tired of having that stranger stare at her…

The woman by the door cleared her throat. "Azarni-san?" It was a quiet voice, almost meek. She sounded skittish.

But not as skittish as Azarni was. She leapt nearly a foot into the air. Her nerves were strung tight enough to snap. "What!" She shouted, fingernails catching in a chink in the wood. She hissed angrily, starting to shake her hand.

"Are you all right, Azarni-san?"

"Fine!" Azarni turned to glare at the woman. "You can leave me alone now."

The woman shook her head, the bun on the back of her head bouncing with the movement. Her hands were folded in the long sleeves of her kimono, her posture very demure.

Azarni studied her. She supposed that she was actually rather pretty. In a strange kind of way. Her eyes were a little too small; her face was a little too narrow. But she was still attractive.

The woman seemed to sense that Azarni had calmed down. She smiled gently. "My name is Sei. I was asked to see if there was anything you'd like to do. Would you be interested in a game? I think we have a Go board, or I'm sure I could dig up a pack of cards."

Azarni stared her down a moment longer, before turning fully from the window. "When will Rinako be coming back?"

Sei shook her head. "I don't know that."

Azarni hesitated, staring at the floor. She was worried about Rinako. But what could she do? It wasn't as if they'd let her leave the room…

"I…I think I could go for a game of cards," she remarked, tentatively. "I don't know how to play Go at all…"

Sei grinned encouragingly. "All right. I'll be right back. Stay here."

The door snapped shut behind her. Azarni stared at it for a moment, waiting. Then, after a significant time had passed, she crept forward. She froze when the floorboard creaked, but then berated herself. She was allowed to move around!

Azarni finally reached the door and she pressed her ear against it, listening. Not hearing anyone out in the hallway, she inched the panel aside. She pressed her eye up to the crack, trying to see if anyone was standing guard.

No one.

Taking a deep breath, Azarni pushed the heavy door open as slowly as she could. Once the opening was wide enough for her to squeeze through, she slipped out and dragged it closed, wincing when it tapped the frame.

Scanning the hall one more time, Azarni chose the direction she thought Rinako had disappeared to and starting walking. This place couldn't be that big.

Yet, after a few minutes, she found herself staring at a painted shoji wall that she swore she'd just seen a few moments ago.

"What the hell…" she muttered. Her nerves were starting to act up again, and she felt tense. Her eyes shifted down the branching hallways, feeling trapped. She had the mental image of wandering around these pale halls endlessly, never finding an end. And always surrounded by demons.

It was like a nightmare.

Not able to stand it a second longer, Azarni pushed off in some random direction. And she kept walking. The complex was far too quiet for her, not even a breath of life. Nothing but gleaming floorboards and flawless shoji walls. Every once in a while there would be a wall illustration that reminded her of the last she'd seen, or there would be a nondescript door.

She was afraid of those doors. Who knew what lay beyond?

Azarni was beginning to decide that her choice of action had been a very bad idea. Very bad.

"Oh Rinako, Rinako, where _are_ you?" she whimpered, stumbling around yet another corner.

That's when she heard it. Voices. Coming from down the hall.

Her spirits lifted immediately. Azarni raced down the hall, not caring anymore. She just wanted to get out of this labyrinth. Old palaces weren't supposed to be this quiet and eerie. Not on TV, anyway.

As she approached, Azarni caught the distinct tone of a female voice, talking calmly. She couldn't tell who it was, but it sounded familiar.

Thinking that it may be Sei, she went right up to the door and tossed it open.

A whole room full of people turned their attention away from the speaking woman to stare at her. The woman turned at a slower pace, and Azarni recognized her. It was that redhead Yayoi.

"Why have you interrupted out meeting?" she questioned, icily.

Azarni opened her mouth to ask "what meeting?" but her voice fell dead when her eyes actually focussed on the people in the room.

It was filled to the seams with monsters.

They looked vaguely human, but their jewel-colored eyes, fangs, and talons told different stories. Each was in a different state, but it was all the same. Monsters.

A few of them had risen to their feet, moving towards her. Stalking her.

Azarni screamed.

She stumbled backwards, eyes nearly bulging out as she called for nonexistent help.

Yet, before all the breath could leave her lungs, she felt a strong breeze rush past her, and a form materialized as if out of the very air in front of her. It intercepted the closet aggressor, lifting the bewildered woman straight off the ground to hang two feet in the air. This effectively halted everyone in his or her tracks.

It all happened in the time it took for his hair to settle. Waves of white flooded Azarni's vision, and she went to scream again. She wanted to scream and die and run away.

But her voice wouldn't work.

"Sesshoumaru-sama!" Yayoi was quick at work now. She'd risen to her feet, all coldness gone from her voice. "What's wrong?"

Azarni stared wide-eyed as Sesshoumaru addressed her calmly. As if their wasn't a franticly wriggling woman clawing at his arm. "It appears that you are not very hospitable to your guests, mutt." With that last word he flicked his wrist, pitching his captive straight into the mass of bodies on the floor.

They tired to catch her, but she ended up hitting the floor anyway, the sound of her skidding along the floorboards loud in the stillness. She gasped weakly, clawing at her throat in pain.

"We did nothing to harm the girl, Sesshoumaru-sama," Yayoi informed him, trying to plead her case. "She came here without our knowledge. She must have been frightened!" She was on her knees, bowing lowly. She seemed to read more into the youkai's still-as-stone façade than Azarni did.

Azarni could only watch in sickened fascination as the once proud woman began to bow and scrape. The occupants of the room appeared as shocked as she was at the reaction, staring in both fear and confusion from the far corners of the room they'd receded into.

Sesshoumaru didn't bat an eye. He stared down at the stooping woman, his whole posture giving nothing away.

The whole moment was frozen in an overpowering tenseness that seeped into everyone like a heavy weight, pulling them down. A moment more and they'd drown.

"Azarni-chan!"

Azarni's head shot up at the familiar voice, just in time to see Rinako and Ryoichi running down the hall towards them. Rinako had hiked up the lower end of her kimono as high as it would go. She slid to a stop in front of her, breathing heavily and completely oblivious of the threatening atmosphere. Her arms were flung around her stunned friend in an instant, pulling her into a tight embrace.

"Are you okay? What happened?"

It took Azarni a long time to realize what had just happened. She stared at the top of Rinako's head blankly; arms hung stiff at her side.

But then she saw the demon looking over at them and she suddenly clung to Rinako desperately. "It was awful!" She wailed, hiding her face in her friend's hair. "Monsters! All of them!"

Rinako rubbed comforting circles in her back, trying to calm her down. "It's okay, Azarni. It's okay."

"No, it's not…" she whimpered. "Monsters…" She lifted her head slightly, whispering in Rinako's ear. "He came out of nowhere. I swear it. Grabbed the one by the neck, tossed her clear across the room. One hand…Oh gods…"

Rinako's grip tightened and her head turned. Her hair obscured any vision Azarni had and she closed her eyes, hand grasping the thick material of Rinako's clothing. She just wanted to go away. But she knew Rinako wouldn't go.

"Sesshoumaru-sama?" Rinako's voice was soft, almost awed. "You…you did what I asked…?"

Azarni winced. There was no way Rinako would ever leave here now.

She heard it in her voice. Rinako didn't know it, but it was her hero voice. The one she took with whoever she thought might fill the empty gap in her life that her mother had left. Fill the dark spot that had been left from a lonely childhood. Sachiko had been on that list once.

Now she was dead.

Apparently it was time for someone else to take her spot. Why did it have to be the thing that had killed her in the first place?

Yayoi was talking again, but Azarni didn't listen. And apparently no one else wanted to listen either.

"_Enough_." The youkai didn't sound very pleased. His voice wasn't as flat as before, but it never raised in volume. Rinako released her slowly, so that she could see what was happening. "No one wants to hear your relentless prattling, wench."

Azarni lifted her gaze in time to see the demon turn from the doorway and Yayoi's stricken face as she stared after him. It was a split-second thing, falling away as soon as it had come, and most likely lost in view of the demon's terrifyingly cold dismissal. No one wanted to take their attention away from him, even with his back turned.

The youkai's focus was on them now. He indicated Ryoichi, who hovered uneasily beside them, with a brusque wave of his hand. Azarni's eyes were immediately drawn to the faint red on his fingers. "Tori, take the girl back. Rinako-san, you shall return with me."

Rinako's head bobbed immediately in acquiesce. "Hai, Sesshoumaru-sama." She leaned forward to squeeze Azarni's arm one more time in comfort. "I told you he would," she whispered in her ear. There was a thrill of excitement running underneath her voice. Almost as if something she'd been searching for had just landed in her lap. "I knew it. I just _knew_ it."

Then she smiled. Azarni felt some of her apprehension fade with that smile, but it was mostly instinct. Rinako's happy face always made her feel better.

"Will you be okay by yourself?" Rinako asked then, seeming to finally think about it. "I could go with you if you want…"

Azarni cast a quick glance at the youkai who still stood in the doorway, watching them in stony silence. He was waiting, Azarni guessed. There wasn't anything to give it away, except for the fact that he hadn't left yet.

"I'll…be fine," she replied, turning back to Rinako. "Fine. I'll see you later?"

"Of course." Rinako gave her a long, searching look. "Have Ryoichi-san stay with you, all right? You may say you're fine, but you still look a little upset. He'll be nice to you." With this, she smiled at the man next to them. "Won't you, Ryoichi-san."

He nodded immediately, and Azarni didn't feel so afraid of him anymore. And it wasn't his reassurance. It was the fact that Rinako had him wrapped around her little finger. Azarni could see that he was ensnared in her natural charms, like a kitten rolled up in a ball of string. It was actually rather amusing.

And she would have told Rinako to open up her eyes and go for it. If they weren't in this situation, that is. It was kind of difficult to have a boyfriend when you were a prisoner.

Rinako took a step back, looking Azarni over one last time, before giving her a smile. "See you later, okay?"

Azarni nodded, and Rinako was off. She hurried over to where the youkai stood. Azarni followed her with her eyes. Almost as if they had a mind of her own, her eyes flickered up to Sesshoumaru, and she found him gazing at her steadily.

Her heart thudded loudly under that cold stare, but she steeled her nerves, meeting his gaze boldly. Her knees began to wobble beneath her, but she kept her head up. She wanted her message to get across.

And apparently it did. One of those perfect eyebrows rose in what may have been amusement, and he inclined his head a fraction in her direction.

All it took was that simple gesture. Relief flooded through Azarni's body like a wave of strong alcohol. She'd done it. Made him promise _her_ something.

Rinako…I fought a demon, just for you…

That still didn't mean she wasn't afraid of him. It was just that…he had kept his promise. At least it seemed like it…

Now that the silent confrontation was over, the youkai spun on his heel and left the scene, motioning for Rinako to follow.

And she did, trailing behind almost as if she was meant to be there. Azarni watched them go, thoughtfully.

Yes...almost as if she was supposed to be there…

* * *

Yayoi stared at the now empty doorway in silent amazement. The other people in the room were murmuring now--asking if that had been _him_, if what they'd seen was real. Their voices an unneeded clamor that clouded her thoughts. But she couldn't bring herself to tell them to stop.

What had just happened…it was incredible. All that girl had to do was scream, and he'd been there. Appearing out of thin air like some sort of vengeful angel.

And this from Sesshoumaru, the human-hater.

It made no sense to her at all. She, the one with demon blood, _inu_ blood, could barely speak to him. And now this human could call him to her aid with only a scream.

Why did he _care_? What was so special about her?

As Yayoi gazed unseeing, a thought crept into her mind. It was more of a remembrance than a thought at first.

"Rinako-san, you shall return with me." He'd said it, just now.

Rinako-san. Ryoichi was tori, she was mutt. The human he'd rescued had been girl.

Yet, that other human woman was Rinako-san.

That thought hit her like a stone. She snapped to attention, starting loudly.

It was her, wasn't it. Something about that girl…

"Yayoi?"

Yayoi glanced over to the one man who'd addressed her. It was one of her followers; a man named Junichi. He still looked somewhat shaken, his strangely pupil-less eyes wide. He'd been the one she'd been speaking to, before all this happened. Who she'd been trying to explain all these physical changes to. That had been what the meeting was about, after all. They were all getting nervous now, and she had to set them straight.

"Yes?"

"We…aren't going to become like that, are we?" He sounded more afraid than he appeared. Yayoi followed his gaze as it drifted to where Machi lay curled on the floor, hand still to her scratched throat. Many of the others were hovering around her. A pack mentality.

The mentality she wanted.

"There was nothing wrong with what he did," Yayoi told him, allowing her voice to become loud enough for the others to hear. "It is a youkai's ability to protect. The girl felt threatened, so he defended her. Don't you want to be able to do that for loved ones?" She got to her feat, wandering over to where the sea of faces around Machi watched her. They backed up as she came closer. She knelt before the frightened woman, who peered up at her with wild eyes.

"Wouldn't you do the same thing, if you could? Don't you wish to?" she asked her small crowd. "Simply defeat a threat with the flick of your wrist?" There was slight murmur, like a current of identical thought slipping into each and every mind around her.

Yayoi bent towards the woman on the floor. Her voice became dreamy as she spoke. "Machi, you know what it's like…you've felt his power. Tell me."

The woman blinked up at her, fingers sliding over her neck. She stirred weakly, eyes falling half shut. "Like a vise…" she whispered in a hoarse voice. "Like a steel vise, slowly killing me. Crushing me… " Her eyes drifted open, and she stared at her hand. "I will be able to do that?"

"If you wish to. Yes. We all can." Yayoi clasped her hands together, mimicking rapture. "We can all rise above this pathetic human species. We can change things."

Another wave of voices, more thought passed between them. It was all so simple.

Yayoi smiled.

Her web had caught, finally.

* * *

Doctor Nishioka Ike wasn't known for being a child-loving man. No one even believed he had an outside life at all. Which caused many heads to turn when he dragged a wheelchair holding a little girl into the lobby of the research facility. He pushed her over the blinding white tiles of the floor, stopping only to speak to the receptionist.

"Nishioka-sensei, who is this?" the woman asked, peering down at the girl after she'd retrieved any messages that had been left for the doctor. The child was a sweet looking little thing, with dark black hair tied up in two pigtails on the sides of her head. Her eyes were deep and brown. She looked to be about five or six years old. Her legs were covered with a white and pink blanket that had Hello Kitty printed on it in different poses.

Nishioka only grunted, shuffling through the papers in his hand. After he was done he shoved them into his pocket. "She's my niece. Akako," he replied at last, gruffly.

The receptionist smiled down at Akako, who lowered her eyes shyly. "Well, hello Akako. Aren't you such a sweet little girl?" The child blushed. The woman laughed, before looking up at the doctor. "Why did you bring her in today?"

Nishioka merely grunted again, taking the handles of Akako's wheelchair. "Did Natsuko call at all?"

The receptionist rolled her eyes, before answering his question politely. "Yes, she did. Said something about how she'd be able to see you sometime today, since she's in town." The woman sighed. "Poor girl. It's shame what happened to her mother. She's such a good girl, taking so much time out of school and work to help her recover. Accidents are terrible things…"

Nishioka nodded, distractedly. "Yes, yes. Shame." He began to push the girl away. "Call me when she gets here."

"Of course." The receptionist watched the two disappear into the elevator, before shaking her head. "That poor girl. Being related to a man like that. I wonder what happened to her legs…?"

* * *

It was only after the shiny elevator doors had slide shut and they'd begun to go up that Akako spoke, quietly. "Oji-san, why are we here in the daytime?"

Nishioka stared at the changing digits above the door. "You're going to be coming more often than usual, now," he informed her, coldly.

Akako looked down at her hands. "Oh." She poked at one of the flowers in Hello Kitty's hand. "Will Natsuko-chan come today?"

"Yes. Now be quiet."

The girl complied easily enough. She contented herself with tracing the white squiggly lines that curled around the figures on her blanket. The only sound was the workings of the elevator.

When the ding announcing the arrival at their floor, Nishioka took Akako's wheelchair handles again and pushed her through the second the doors opened. Turning her rather sharply, he marched down the long white corridor to his designated rooms. A few other workers were out, and they gave him questioning looks as he went by. But no one said anything; no one really cared to. He was the eccentric, after all.

Nishioka stopped the girl in front of the door, before reaching into his pocket for his keys. Akako took the chance to look around. "It looks different in the daytime," she remarked, softly.

Nishioka said nothing, unlocking the door and pushing it open. He rolled her into the room and threw the door closed.

It was dark inside. There were no windows, and the lights were off. The only bit of light came in under the door. Nishioka fumbled, looking for the light switch. It took a moment, but soon light flooded the small space, making Akako blink, trying to adjust.

Nishioka didn't seem so disturbed. He trudged over to his desk, plopping his briefcase on a pile of papers. "Wait here," he ordered as an afterthought, before he disappeared behind one of the doors in the back of the room.

Akako did as she was told, sitting at the head of a sea of books and papers that filled the office. She twiddled her thumbs for a moment, but her attention was naturally drawn away from the boring act to the heaps of documents on her uncle's desk. Many of them were computer printouts, which she knew came from the old computer he kept behind one of those doors. He didn't leave it out in the main office, not wanting it to get in the way.

The other notes were all handwritten. Nishioka had a lot of notes, although Akako didn't know what they were about. She'd never seen him use any of the ones on his desk. He only used the ones that came out of his briefcase.

Akako put her hands on her wheels with the intent of pushing herself over there. But Nishioka came back into the room, carefully shutting the door behind him. Seeing her over by the door, he waved her over impatiently. "I want to show you something."

Akako smiled, happily rolling over to him now that she'd been noticed. It was slow going, since her arms were a little too weak to move the chair, but she made it. Maneuvering herself as close as she could, she craned her neck to see the entire desk. "What is it, Oji-san?"

Nishioka lifted the latches on his briefcase and raised the lid. Tossing it back, he drew out a handful of papers. Shuffling them around, he removed two and handed them to the little girl. "Remember what I told you Natsuko was doing?"

Akako nodded and looked down at the papers in her hands. There were all sketches, the first being a drawing of a person with long hair and pointy ears. They looked kind of like a creature from a fairy tale. She studied it for a moment, then flipped to the other page, which showed a dog with floppy ears. Akako's eyes grew wide in delight. "Doggy!" she cried, happily, holding the image up to her uncle. "See, Oji-san! A doggy!" She looked closer, noticing the missing leg. "Poor doggy," she added, sadly. "He can't walk right, just like me."

The girl jumped when Nishioka's hand came out and snatched the papers from her. "He can walk just fine, girl," he snapped, shoving the drawings back into his notes. "He's a youkai." His eyes narrowed. "So don't call him a 'doggy'."

Akako frowned. "Isn't that what the drawing's of?"

"No. It's an _inuyoukai_, like I've told you before."

Akako wrinkled her nose. Youkai. There was that word again. She'd heard that word from her grandmother all the time when she was little. The old woman had liked to tell stories all the time. She was a miko, so she'd known quite a few.

Akako remembered going to the old shrine down in Kyoto. It was such a pretty place. Too bad Obaa-san had left them. She'd gone to the sky, she'd been told. Now it was just her Mama and Oji-san. Otou-san had left them too, Mama had said. A long time ago.

Nishioka closed the top of his case. He stared at it a minute, glasses sliding down his nose. Then he turned his gaze on Akako, using one finger to absently raise his glasses. "Natsuko gave me those drawings. They're off a real, living youkai, she said."

Akako frowned, lightly, in thought. "You mean like the kind Obaa-san told us about?"

Nishioka nodded, eagerly. He pressed his palm against the desktop, leaning over. "Yes. What do you remember about Obaa-san's stories?"

The little girl bobbed her head. "Lots. How they were all magical and powerful and stuff."

Nishioka nodded again, moving back. He sat down in his chair. His attention was focussed on Akako, and she liked it. He always paid attention to her when she remembered things. And when he pricked her with the needle.

Akako's eyes wandered over to the door behind her uncle's chair, staring at the white face in apprehension. Nishioka noticed this. "Only a little bit today," he told her, almost conversationally. He propped his feet against the end of the desk, using it to hold himself up a he slide down in the seat. He stared out over the papers on his desk. "You have that doctor's appointment Friday, remember?"

He propped a hand on his fist, looking at her. "You're a special girl, you know." His voice was more that of a scientist stating a fact than an uncle giving a compliment. Akako didn't know the difference. "Obaa-san gave you a gift that not many people have anymore. And that gift is going to help Oji-san."

Akako smiled, bobbing her head. "Yep. I'm going to help Oji-san!" She looked down at her blanket-covered legs, her smile fading. "Akako can only help by giving to the needle…"

Nishioka was oblivious to her change in mood. He stared at the wall behind her. "Let those scientists have their cell research and cloning," he murmured softly. "It'll take them years to find what they're looking for. I already found it." He smiled, closing his eyes in pleasure. "The perfect being."

----

The (notoriously long) **Author Notes!** (which is why I put them at the end…;;)

Wow…so…_short_…. --looks at chapter again-- What _happened_?

Whatever it was, it means a quick update. I wrote this whole thing in less than a day…oo… (Seems that I really should have started it right away, instead of working on _UH_. It would have been easier on me…and you.)

Anyway… do I see something?…yes I do! Plot development! Move-age! --celebrates-- It wasn't angsty-I-don't-know-how-I-feel-about-what's-happening stuff anymore! At least not in this part… (oi…)

See! Azarni is actually good for _some_thing! To scream--okay, not really. As you can see here, she realizes the relationship forming between Rinako and Sess before _they_ do… and by 'saving' her, Sess is able to prove to Rinako that he can keep his word. Kinda opens things up for her, perspective wise. Which is good. Azarni is more observant than you thought (and I thought too...) Although she's still a wussy…

--is fearful that the cause of scream is anticlimactic after cliff hanger-- Heh….I went through many reason for it before I just wrote this one down. Thought it would help move the plot faster than my other ideas… ;;

And we meet a new character here! Akako. I like her… (didn't really know if I would…) And I liked writing her POV. She'll be important later on…(duh…), although it might not be in a way you expect…

And, before anyone asks-- **No**, Akako/Nishioka are not related to Kagome. I reread the chapter and thought that someone might come to that conclusion. So I'll state it here. Make it easy.

The chapter title basically tells you what was going on in this chapter. Insight into characters. A bit of what's behind Yayoi (crazy little bitch...), what the hell those other people are there for, a little about Nishioka (whose name is written Japanese-style. Nishioka is the family name.), and Azarni seeing into the S/R relationship (family/friend stuff, people!).

Author ramblings…(okay, it's _all_ ramblings, but this is more off base than the other stuff…)

Just so you people know, the only way you'd get any romance in this story would be if I acted on Ryoichi's little infatuation with Rinako. Could you just imagine it? Him trying to get close to Rinako with "Deadly-Daddy" Sess giving him a death-glare?

I can just picture it: those two sitting together in a room with Sesshoumaru stationed directly between them. Call that nerve-racking for a would-be boyfriend. ;; No action going on _there_…

What I _can_ see in here is some cuteness between the two. So maybe I will work at that angle an insy-little bit. Don't really know… --shrug-- I think 'Ichi would be kinda cute trying to romance her… (Or it could be the music I'm listening to…oO) Please give opinion!

A little nudge in another direction. I have an account at livejournal now. I gave up on keeping my own blog, since it meant too much code work… (am so lazy…) Links on the main page if you want to see how boring my life is…. --sigh--

Although I do have to read Crime and Punishment, The Sun Also Rises, and Original Meanings: Politics and Ideas in the Making of the Constitution for school in September….

That last book will kill me…….

Also, I have a trip coming up in August. Hope to have next _UH_ chapter done by then. And, if I'm really feeling good, maybe another _Memory_. I **really** need to slap some of these chapters down before school begins… APs will rule my world…oO…. (they are kinda like college courses in high school, if you didn't know. I know that not all of you are American. And not all of you are still in high school…or live in my state…..) I damn myself by being a multi-tasking, over-ambitious perfectionist…and honor student…

--sigh--

Won't even go into my original fiction…. That would make me cry…(so much of it…oo…)

Damn, I talk a lot…. Very sorry! (I always say that….) But, hey, I _warned_ you it was rambling!


	12. Outside

**Memory of a Soul**  
Airian Reesu

**A/N:** I'm sooo sorry this took so long! I had to redo part of it, since I'd cut out a subplot. While this change made this chapter take longer to produce, it will greatly decrease the time it will take to finish the entire story as a whole. Thank you everyone who has hung on, despite my HUGE lapses of time in-between chapters. I appreciate it very much.

We start to see even more outside forces in this chapter…the kind you've all been waiting for.

* * *

Chapter Twelve: Outside

In all appearances, Mama Higurashi could be considered your average twentieth-century woman. She raised her family the best she could, played the role of housewife, and even held a part-time job at the nearby library.

Except your average woman didn't live in a shrine compound, and she most _certainly_ did not have a daughter who could transverse time through an old, seemingly harmless well.

Drying her hands on the nearby dishtowel, Higurashi-san listened to the sounds of her household. Souta was running about upstairs, getting ready for school, while Jii-san was reading his newspaper in the adjoining dining room. Buyo was mewing pathetically by his already empty food dish, waiting for something he knew he wouldn't be getting.

The only one missing was Kagome, and Higurashi-san couldn't help but feel that ever familiar pang in her chest. Oh, she knew how important this was, and how strong her Kagome had become. She also knew, just by looking into those fierce eyes, just how much Inu-Yasha would fight for her daughter's safety.

But, being a mother, she couldn't help but worry. And worry was something she did very well nowadays.

Walking over to the stairs she called up to Souta as she took off her apron. "Breakfast is ready, Souta!"

His voice was muffled from behind the bedroom door. "Comin' Mama!"

Wandering back into the kitchen Higurashi-san took the prepared plates off the counter, brought them into the dining room, and put them on the table across from Jii-san.

"How are you this morning, Jii-san?" she asked, as Souta came running down the stairs.

Glancing up over the top of his paper, Jii-san studied her with his shrewd eyes. "Very well, dear, considering." Putting down his newspaper, he began to rub his back. "I need to make up some ointment for this backache. I think I have some medicinal herbs in the shed and--"

Higurashi-san nodded pleasantly as he continued, only glancing over her shoulder as Souta slid into his spot at the table and began wolfing down his meal. "Pace yourself, dear," she reminded him gently, before beginning on her own breakfast.

"Sure, Mama." Taking a moment to gulp down some juice, his large eyes glanced from one family member to the other, before settling on his mother. A faint blush began to brighten the edges of his ears. "Is it…umm...okay if me an' Hitomi go to the park after school, Mama?"

Higurashi-san gave her son a warm-hearted smile. "Of course."

"Thanks, Mama." Blushing even more now, Souta finished his meal in a few quick bites before jumping to his feet. "Gotta get goin' now. See you later, Mama." Leaning over, he gave her a quick peck on the cheek. Waving to Jii-san, who grunted a good-natured goodbye, the boy left the room. Seconds later she heard the outer door snap closed.

Higurashi-san rose from her knees, collecting the dishes as she went. She often worried about Souta, walking to school all on his own. By all rights he should have his big sister with him. But, she supposed, settling the dishes in the dishwasher to be cleaned when she came home, if she could let her daughter run around in feudal Japan, she could allow her son the chance to walk to school. He usually met with friends halfway there, anyhow.

And at least she knew when she should expect him home.

Filling her teacup once more, Higurashi-san went and knelt down across from Jii-san again. Sipping the hot beverage gingerly, she took the time to scan the back cover of the newspaper he was holding. She sighed softly.

There they were again. Three girls that she'd never met before stared back at her, a large headline screaming "MISSING" stretching over the grainy photographs. That same ad had been in the paper for almost a whole week. If she remembered right, they were college students. The two were sisters, a Yamashita Sachiko and Yamashita Arzarni, but they did not really resemble each other all that much. The Sachiko girl was clearly older and it seemed as if it had taken all effort to even elicit the small smile she wore in the picture onto her noble face. By contrast, the Arzani girl was smiling a toothy grin that reminded Higurashi-san of her daughter. The other girl wasn't related, although the other girls' parents had added her into the ad. This was a Mirawase Rinako, who smiled shyly at the camera with huge soulful eyes. It seems that all three of these girls had gone missing one night earlier this week, and the Yamashita family was still looking for them, even going so far as to offer a rather pricey reward.

Higurashi-san could empathize with the parents--she knew what it was to worry. But, at least she had a general idea of where Kagome was. The Yamashita's girls could be anywhere. Even dead.

Higurashi-san sighed. She really hated seeing these pieces in the paper, but that _was_ a part of life. Swirling her spoon through the last of her tea, she idly wondered what all the missing girls were doing at this exact moment. Both Kagome and the faces in the newspaper.

She hoped in her heart of hearts that they were all safe.

* * *

He hated it here. Even the damn grass carried that acidic stench. He could have sworn that the humans were all trying to kill themselves. The air still felt heavy, pressing down on him to the point where he preferred to sit rather than wander as he normally would.

Although there really wasn't anywhere to go here, so it wasn't such an annoyance as it should be.

Sesshoumaru sat out in the garden--and actually on the foul smelling grass despite the tori's insistence that he bring a chair. He'd shot that idea down instantly, for he didn't want to have to suffer through that lacquer as well. Besides, he wanted to get away from that building. Because, if it was possible, he hated _that_ even more. Despised it. He was not someone for walls and ceilings. He was tired of polished wood and drab screens.

Most of all he wanted out of the enclosed feeling. And the smell of youkai mutts.

Over the past few days, that was all he could notice. Human and youki, all in different stages of transformation, all a mix of species. It was sickening. It was as if there were a hundred Inu-Yasha's here. Disgusting.

He let his lone hand tense, the tips of his claws puncturing the earth effortlessly as he stared balefully at the same line of trees he'd been looking at every day now. The same trees that mocked him behind a barrier that he couldn't see.

Just thinking of that damned thing caused his jaw to tighten, teeth grinding together. He stopped that instantly, forcing himself to relax enough so he wouldn't have to listen to it. But that didn't keep his thought from turning dark.

It was incredible that they were holding him here. Those mutts. That he was forced to sit here like some pet.

Normally, he would have just taken care of things quite easily. Except, now, he didn't know if these mutts were worth anything or not. He couldn't tell. He didn't really know anything. Not about them, here, or anywhere, for that matter. Nor did he know the intricacies of that barrier--how long it would last, if killing the caster would dispel it or not.

Sesshoumaru despised not knowing. He despised being unsure.

There was one thing he was positive about, however. He couldn't wait until he could skin that half-blooded bitch alive. She and that neko.

Actually, he was just itching to kill _anything_. It was an indecent urge, one reserved for lower-class youkai. But, no matter how much he tried to hide it, it was still there. That desire to tear into something, to destroy. It was caused, most likely, by his untamed youki. Yet, it was very hard to train it when he was stuck sitting in the same room for days at a time.

When had he last hunted, anyhow? He couldn't remember. Certainly no time in…this life.

His fingers flexed again, digging up the earth at his fingertips as he bit back a growl. This inactivity was driving him insane… What he wouldn't give to just tear this place to shreds.

"Sesshoumaru-sama?"

At the sound of that quiet voice the taiyoukai's eyes finally left the horizon, darting over as he turned his head towards her. Rinako sat not too far away on one of the decorative rocks, watching him with quiet curiosity. She held a small flower in her hand, twirling it between her fingers as her hands rested on the dark brown material in her lap. "What are you so interested in?"

Sesshoumaru didn't reply. He simple stared at that familiar face, those familiar eyes. That damned innocence.

He'd almost completely forgotten about her. She and that little girl. And now, here she was--_they_ were--smiling at him. That same smile.

Oddly enough, he didn't feel so angry anymore. Even if he was facing something else he didn't understand.

He'd been through this before. Long ago, but not quite.

Rinako titled her head slightly, a small frown appearing between her brows. "Sesshoumaru-sama?"

It simply amazed him. This girl, who for so long had been afraid of him, now sat alone with him away from the house. The same girl that had always carried the scent of unease didn't even carry a twinge of worry now.

And she hadn't for many days now. Ever since that incident with that companion of hers, that human that seemed familiar, even if _he_'d never met her before.

He didn't really know why he'd done it. The promise he gave this useless human shouldn't have meant anything. But he'd gone anyhow. He'd kept his word.

Just as he would have done for Rin.

Sesshoumaru turned away from the girl, staring out into the middle distance. He still couldn't believe it-- not really. He didn't know _why_ he was being so foolish--the evidence was right in front of him. And yet…

Wasn't it ironic that he was being haunted by his past? Very, very funny.

But why did it have to be this girl? And why _here_?

In this miserable place.

* * *

Rinako wasn't really offended when the taiyoukai turned back around. She'd noticed in the past few days that when he did that, he was still listening. No matter how foul of a mood he was in, he always listened. To her.

An almost giddy feeling swelled within her and she fought back a wide grin. It was…nice, having someone to listen. To actually hear her words. To remember them.

Staring down at the bloom in her hand, she twirled the stem one last time between her thumb and forefinger. It seemed strange. Just days before she'd been terrified. She hadn't known what to do with this…creature.

And all it took was one violent display, and she trusted him. Oddly enough.

Yet, seeing him there, defending Azarni with those deadly claws of his, _running_ from the room half-dressed and damp, all because of what _she_ had said…

Rinako had never felt so appreciated in all her life.

This youkai, this age-old creature, who had recently been resurrected, thrown into a human world, and then treated almost as a god…he had listened to _her_. Insignificant little Rinako. He'd paid attention to _her_.

But that wasn't the only thing. There was just something about Sesshoumaru-sama…something that made her feel…wanted. And she'd noticed how much better it made her feel inside…almost as if she'd found something she'd been missing.

Rinako brushed that strange thought aside. She was over-analyzing. All she really needed to know was that the taiyoukai wasn't a bad person. Somewhat violent, yes, but only when provoked. A little quiet, but that was okay.

She didn't mind sitting out here with him at all.

And besides…she was certain he needed her there too. She didn't know why she knew. He certainly wasn't the "I-need-a-friend" type. But she just thought that it would help…seeing that he'd been uprooted so much.

She gazed at him thoughtfully, watching his stiff back as his hair danced in the wind like silver ribbons. He was finally dressed in white again, after a clothing shuffle. He always appeared so otherworldly in white; it was hard to remember that he was real sometimes.

A glorious creature trapped in a cage...

Rinako dropped her flower suddenly, startled by that thought. Where had that come from? When had she started to understand so much?

She slowly lifted her eyes from the blossom on the ground to the taiyoukai again, seeing the proud lift of his head as well as the claws dug into soil at his side, and she realized that it was true.

Rinako felt sorrow--but not pity--build up within her chest and she swallowed once. It was true…

Hoping to ease the sudden sadness within herself, she cleared her throat once and started the conversation that always seemed to hold his interest the most--no matter how inappropriate to her mood it may be.

"Do you want to hear more about the outside?"

Sesshoumaru's head titled towards her minutely, telling her that he was listening. Rinako couldn't help but grin slightly at the animalistic movement.

"All right… Where was I last time?" Her fingers tapped idly on the rock beside her and she noticed him turned ever so slightly in her direction. She continued, knowing he was watching her hand move. It amazed her sometimes how the smallest of things could attract his attention.

"I told you before that we are outside of the city of Tokyo, yes?" Although she did not receive any affirmative from him, she continued. "Tokyo is in eastern Japan and is the seat of our government--"

She was halted by his voice. "Government?"

Rinako faltered. "Umm…yes, government. It is what makes the laws of this place…the ruling body…They protect us and let us live our lives in peace…"

He snorted disdainfully and Rinako found herself staring at him in disbelief. Turning away from her fully, he spoke to the tree line beyond when he added. "I should have known."

Feeling more confused than annoyed Rinako posed the obvious question. "Should have known what, Sesshoumaru-sama?"

There was a moment of silence, almost as if he were composing his lines in his head before he spoke. Which, most likely, he was. "That the humans would allow themselves to be governed so easily. That they should cower behind the available protection, no matter how ill favored. This is remarkably consistent with my limited dealings with…your kind." He shifted slightly with those last lines, almost as if he was glancing back at her, but not quite.

"Actually," Rinako began, cautiously. "A government doesn't exactly _rule_ over us…not as you might have known it. It is made up of many people that the common man has elected to represent them… And there are documented laws and limits on the power of even the highest government figure…" She trailed off, waiting for a reaction.

Silence again. When he did speak again, it was with a small amount of spite that startled Rinako. "Strength means nothing now, it would seem."

"Why, no, I wouldn't say that…"

He was not done yet. In a soft, almost chilling tone, he continued. "Once, the strongest, the most prestigious, made the law. Dispensed justice. Ruled absolute. Now it is all the whim of the weak-minded."

Rinako opened her mouth to protest. Then, unexpectedly, she remembered Sachiko's diary. Written on those pages had been many misadventures in the pursuit of strength, many endeavors to become the mightiest lord. To take the place of a dead father.

What Sachiko had written…those had been very true emotions. Almost…human in a way. Rage, jealousy, desire, determination; Rinako could empathize with those. She'd even done so many times throughout her midnight readings, scanning those dark pages in the dim light.

Sachiko had always been an emotional soul, under her icy skin. Rinako had thought nothing of her words, seeing them as responses to the strange memories.

But…how could she explain those instances when the writing changed, when Sachiko no longer seemed to matter. Hadn't those same emotion been there as well, those same feelings…?

It hit her with the force of a tumbling wall, causing the air to escape her lungs in a gasp. There it was, staring at her from those pages. She'd known it all along, but now, hearing those words, _seeing_ him there, she could make the connection.

It was very sobering.

She hadn't been reading Sachiko's words. She'd been reading Sesshoumaru's.

All this time, she'd been afraid of him. Terrified. And between her fingers, on manufactured paper and written in cheap store ink had been…well, everything.

Had she really been that blind? She felt like a fool.

"Sesshoumaru-sama?" Rinako spoke up, sliding off her seat. He didn't look at her, but that didn't really matter.

Knowing what she wanted to do, for what seemed to be the first time since arriving at this place, Rinako crossed the space between them, settling down on the grass. She ignored the way he leaned away from her, the most minute of motions. She felt the heavy silk of his sleeve pile beside her leg, just as it had done that first night. She didn't care about it now. Knotting her fingers over her bent knees, she sat almost as a child would, staring out to the trees beyond their shared prison.

"What do you remember about the past, Sesshoumaru-sama?" she asked, softly.

After a lingering silence she settled back to wait some more to give him a moment. Closing her eyes, she let the wind tousle her hair as she tried to picture that time. She supposed there were more trees and the sky was probably bluer. She could just see the clear as crystal water, the tiny flashes of darting fish, the gnarled hands with tiny claws trying to catch them. A voice--

"Rinako-san."

Rinako's eyes popped open and it took a few heavy blinks until she could clear that image out of her mind. It was a very strange one that must have resulted from all this oddity that she'd been experiencing lately. Feeling his eyes on her, she looked up just as he turned away.

His long hair obscured his face from view but she thought he sounded so very _old_ when he next spoke. "You should not ask that of me."

"Oh…" That was it. All that remained was a heavy silence.

* * *

Ryoichi sat beside the paper-covered window, his talons tracing the grain in the wood as he waited. He knew he had other work he should be doing, but he never quite seemed to be able to leave his interior perch whenever Rinako was outside. From here he could see them through the crack between sill and paper; the taiyoukai's white form very hard to miss amidst all the greenery.

He never fully trusted their time alone. She was just a frail human woman, after all.

_But then again_, he thought in disgust as he forced his claws through the wood with a violent tightening of his fist. _She isn't any safer in _here_ than she is out there. In fact, I think being with him is much safer than…us._

Sighing out loud in the empty hall, Ryoichi closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against the wall support. He longed for the cool feeling of window glass, but that was impossible now. He listened to the murmuring voices in the room behind him, his fellow youkai-humans mingling together in their spare time.

They were all developing quite well, this little science experiment of Yayoi's. And that's what he felt like. She even went so far as to come around occasionally and question them all on how they felt, on their "progress."

Every day he felt more claustrophobic, almost suffocating in the throng of half-formed auras and developing magic. Either he was becoming more sensitive to it, or it was just growing stronger.

Yet, the most ironic thing was that as the others grew, Sesshoumaru's aura was becoming smaller, or perhaps the word should be _tighter_. Apparently he was getting accustomed to having it around again. And that control was starting to drive the others crazy. They had all become in the habit of leeching off of him and now he was unwittingly - or not? - cutting off their drug supply.

And that's all they were now. Addicts. He heard the whispers, saw the eyes peering out through windows. They were all starting to lust now, to want what he had and they thought they could take.

They were becoming youkai. Or, even less than that. Animals.

Regret was too weak a word for what he was feeling now. Stupidity didn't even begin to explain it.

And yet Yayoi didn't have a clue.

The door snapped open behind him and Ryoichi tugged his claws out of the wood before turning around. Kajiro stood there, hair red as flame and his blood-colored eyes staring at him almost blankly. Other bodies clustered behind him, pressed against the wooden frame and flooding back into the room. All eagerly watching, they eyes wide and unblinking like china dolls on the shelf.

Ryoichi involuntarily shivered. "Need something, Kajiro?" he asked congenially.

Kajiro didn't answer. The young man appeared strangely serious, crossing the space between them and reaching for the window. With an abrupt flick of his wrist he tore the paper right off the frame and exposed the whole garden beyond. Ryoichi leapt up at the movement, startled by the violence.

"Kajiro?"

He didn't even move when Ryoichi spoke. Those red eyes were pinned on something outside the window. There was a pressing silence and then Kajiro smirked wickedly. "I'm taking it."

It only took Ryoichi a second to understand. But it was a second too slow. "You can't-" he cried, reaching for Kajiro's shoulder as he turned to leave. The redhead stopped dead in his tracks and, before Ryoichi could say another word, reached up and wrapped his steadily glowing fingers around the tori's arm.

Ryoichi hissed in pain as fire flared across his skin and he tried to jerk away on reflex. Even he could smell the scent of burnt skin. But Kajiro held on, eyes fixated on the far wall until Ryoichi let out an involuntary whimper. Then he released him and Ryoichi drew his charred and bleeding arm to his chest, eyes burning.

Kajiro took one glance back at him. And Ryoichi knew that it was true. They really had become nothing more than animals. That wasn't Kajiro anymore. It was a creature in search of power.

Survival of the fittest.

Kajiro was already walking away by then, leaving his defeated prey behind. The others creeped out after him, pushing Ryoichi against the wall as they spilled into the hall. He fought against them, tried to get to Kajiro to stop him, but he couldn't. Kajiro was outside and running before Ryoichi could even take a glance out the window.

Heart thumping wildly in both pain and fear, Ryoichi took one glance at the shoji wall. And he found his exit.

* * *

The silence between them did not last long. Rinako's head lifted as Sesshoumaru snapped to sudden attention beside her, everything about him on edge. Rinako's first response was to hunker down closer to his side. "What is it?" she whispered.

He didn't reply. His whole body seemed to coil under those thick robes, ready for a sudden spring. His head shifted to the right and before Rinako could look up he was gone.

The wind of his movement thundered in her ears and she tucked her head down, feeling very small and vulnerable all of a sudden. There was snarl and the sound of two bodies colliding. Feet slid over the grass and then there was a mess of hideous shrieking, almost like a deranged animal.

Then a snap.

That echoed the loudest in the abrupt quiet, a thunderclap at the end of a storm. It shook every bone in her body and Rinako felt sick. She knew what it was. She just knew.

Rinako opened her eyes just as a small thud sounded through the garden. Swallowing hard against her churning stomach, she turned her head.

Sesshoumaru stood over the prone body, his hand just now falling back to his side. His face was completely impassive as he stared down at it, but everything else about him was alive and ready. His eyes glittered so strangely, almost as if he was...he was pleased…

She looked away from him and realized that she knew the body. It was that of the young man who had taken her out of her room just the other day. He looked so different now, everything about him red and orange like fire. But she knew him; she'd _talked _to him.

But he was dead, wasn't he?

Looking back down at the grass under her feet, Rinako clutched her knees so tightly to her chest that she could almost fold up into herself without any effort. Just continue curling until she was turned inside out. But she wasn't going to. She knew what death was. Hiding didn't make it go away.

No matter how it came about.

The sudden chill that ran down her spine interrupted her thoughts. There was a heavy coldness in the air that pricked at her skin with spiny fingers and, oddly enough, it was a familiar touch. Some part of her realized that it was Sesshoumaru and he was not very happy. Rinako raised her head despite all her inner protests and saw that he stood just as still as always, although his lone hand was now curled in a loose fist. Wondering what bothered him so she glanced past him. Her heart immediately leapt to a rib-shattering rhythm at the sight of what was coming towards them.

It was a crowd of people. They were all human, but not exactly. They stood at least six feet away at the most, all staring at the body with a mixture of impassiveness and real emotion--there didn't seem to be any in-between. None of them seemed inclined to move forward, especially with Sesshoumaru's clearly defensive posture.

It all reminded Rinako eerily of animals out in the wilderness, of lions out on the dry, endless plains.

The stalemate was broken with a tearing sound and then people were being shoved aside. Rinako felt her heart speed up even faster when Ryoichi appeared at the head to the pack. His arms were braced out, physically holding back two bodies as he leaned forward. "Kajiro, you--" his voice fell short and his whole face turned white.

Just seeing his face made Rinako want to cry.

"Sesshoumaru-sama…" he whispered, lips barely moving.

Rinako couldn't see Sesshoumaru's face, but she heard him clear enough. With a quick sweep of his arm, he gestured Ryoichi forward. "Come here."

Ryoichi's obedience gave way to natural caution as he at first refused to move. But then his hands tightened on the people he held and with a physical push he made himself go towards Sesshoumaru. To Rinako's amazement, Sesshoumaru turned to the side so that Ryoichi could see her.

As soon as she met his eyes, Ryoichi was by her side instantly. "Rinako-san," he breathed, reaching down to grasp her arm. Rinako only nodded, already knowing the next question. She didn't feel like talking much so she warded it off.

"Take her inside." The coldness of his voice drew Rinako's attention away from Ryoichi immediately. Sesshoumaru had turned his back again and as he spoke he cracked the knuckles.

Rinako stared at him for one dumb moment. The idea of what was going on crawled into her mind with agonizing slowness, but when she finally caught it, it was enough to send her staggering. He was going to fight them all, wasn't he?

All these defenseless, mindless people… They were all going to end up like that young man, weren't they?

Ryoichi's hands were like vices on her arms as he tried to hold her close. He knew what was going on and wasn't going to do a thing to stop it! He wasn't…

But he was, wasn't he? By refusing to leave…refusing to make her go… he was delaying Sesshoumaru's punishment.

Almost unbidden, Rinako's eyes trailed down to the body sprawled on the grass. He was thankfully facing the other way, neck bent awkwardly and bloody from claw scratches. That was Sesshoumaru's punishment for taking him unawares. Swift, effortless and completely irreversible.

Sesshoumaru was growing impatient. He even went so far as to turn back to them, arm raising, sleeve falling back, and then she noticed _it_. Something she had seen so many times.

That sword. It was the same one she'd noticed when she first stepped foot on the porch. The one that she'd _known _to belong to him even at first glance; it couldn't be any other way.

It rested so innocently under its companion blade, tucked neatly into a sheath that showed no sign of age. Her eyes fell on it, drawn there like metal to a magnet. It was just a hilt but she could see the blade in her mind's eyes, a brilliant shimmering thing that, though steel, cut through her like light in the darkest of places. The memory blazed across her mind, turning her blind to everything else.

It was a moment unlike any other, that memory. It was greater than dragons or demon kings. It was a feeling of warmth, of _life_. She reached for that memory, reached for that sword… and it knew she was there, it knew that she remembered. And it wanted her to fix this.

It was there, in her mind, a breath that wasn't a voice but it said her name.

Rin…

Rinako woke from her daze to find herself stretched forward over Ryoichi's lap and reaching, grasping, _pleading_ for that sword. The name dribbled off her lips, dripping from her memories. "Tenseiga!"

She felt Sesshoumaru's sharp gaze on her; the air was tense enough to snap and it was all she could do to lift her eyes. It took her a few moments to realize that he was blurry, that she was crying.

"How do you know of Tenseiga?" he asked her mildly, but she felt the weight; there was so much behind those words, a barrage of questions that she could not answer.

All she could do now was beg. Clasping her hands to her chest despite Ryoichi's hold on her arms, she gathered herself up on her knees and let herself cry. "Please save him, Sesshoumaru-sama. I don't want anyone to die."

He did not respond for the longest time, staring down at her with clouded eyes. The wind she'd thought so pleasant before but was now strangely cold blew between them, caught his hair like fine cobwebs dusting the archaic statue and she'd never thought he'd looked so _old_ before. So immovable. So distant from the mortal she was.

But she knew he could die. He'd done it once. And so she couldn't keep herself from having some faith in his heart, even if it had failed. At least it existed.

That was more than anyone else gave him credit for.

"Get up." His voice was abrupt and harsh, cutting through the silence and making Rinako jump. She stared up at him with wide eyes as he fixed a flashing gaze on her. Her heart took the opportunity to stick in her throat as it deprived her body with the power it needed to do as he asked. She felt like nothing but a rough sack, a being once plush with hay now drained of its filling.

He was angry now although nothing in him really changed outwardly to show it. But she could feel it and she couldn't stop crying. "Do _not_ beg," he ordered her in a tone that said he would be obeyed. There was no choice in the action.

Rinako sniffled, rubbed at her nose and eyes with her wide grass-stained sleeve, and then she stood. Ryoichi's arms fell forgotten and she was only half-aware of the horde of monstrous eyes watching every move. She felt sick all of a sudden, her stomach roiling as she choked on the words that bubbled in her throat. They came out of nowhere, overtaking her with their ghostly speech pattern, the not-remembered and yet familiar mannerisms.

Training her eyes directly in the center of Sesshoumaru's chest, she said them, loud and clear to make sure he heard. "Would Sesshoumaru-sama bring that boy back for Rin?"

The reaction was near instantaneous and completely wordless. Steel slide over steel and before she could turn her eyes completely the air was cut with a decisive swing that hit nothing she could see. Sesshoumaru did not look back at her even as she questioned him with her eyes. His gaze remained fixed on the boy at his feet, his knuckles white around the Tenseiga's hilt.

And eternity that was nothing more than a moment passed and then Kajiro coughed.

Rinako's heart skipped a beat even as the once-dead boy's began to beat again. A rush of sound burst from everyone gathered around them, a collective gasp that had everyone gaping.

"I…I don't believe it," Ryoichi breathed behind her and Rinako had to disagree. She could believe it.

For no matter the might of his punishment, Sesshoumaru-sama's mercy was one hundred times as powerful. And a thousands times rarer.

"Go inside." If possible, his voice was deeper than normal, although just as toneless. He still didn't look at her, his gaze on those surrounding them.

Rinako was trembling so much that she felt her knees weakening beneath her. But she had to know one thing before she could even think to rest. Drawing a deep breath, she plunged ahead, nerves making her voice crack. "Are you going to-?"

"No." It was a quick, concise answer, but that was all she needed. The Tenseiga was still held out, the blade placed in front of the youkai-humans. To Rinako's surprise they were slowly backing away, chattering nervously and staring at the faintly glowing blade.

They didn't know it couldn't cut. But Rinako did. Somehow.

Kajiro sat up abruptly then, rubbing his head and blinking in the harsh afternoon light. He lifted his head and as soon as his eyes fell on the youkai in front of him, sword out and ready, he screamed.

Sesshoumaru turned then and pinned him with a stern glare. "Quiet." The sound died in the young man's throat with a gurgle. Gesturing with Tenseiga, he silently ordered the boy to join his brethren. Which Kajiro did with surprising alacrity, considering that he had just been dead. "You can rest easy on his part, Rinako-san," the taiyoukai answered her silent question then, before turning those immortal eyes towards her. "Now do as I say."

And she did. Grabbing Ryoichi's hands, she pulled the still stunned man to his feet and tugged him after her towards the main house. Gazing up the steps, however, she was forced to halt at the sight of Yayoi standing there. The young woman was clutching shards of a broken teacup in her hand, her face white as death as she stared at Sesshoumaru.

Rinako didn't dare get any closer to that woman. She didn't trust her at all. And the way she was watching Sesshoumaru-sama made her shiver. Swallowing her fear, Rinako tried to be polite as possible. "Excuse us, Yayoi-san."

The woman's slit-pupil eyes swerved in her direction immediately. Something wasn't quite right in her gaze. "You. You're the one who made him use it."

Ryoichi, who had been watching Sesshoumaru silently intimidate the others into a retreat over his shoulder, turned around at the sound of Yayoi's voice. He seemed a little dazed until he saw Yayoi's face. Rinako felt his fingers squeeze her hand. "What are you thinking, Yayoi?"

Yayoi didn't reply. She let her hand loosen and the pieces of porcelain fell unnoticed as she descended the stairs. Rinako felt Ryoichi tense at her side, inching a bit closer to her as Yayoi stopped a step or so away.

All she did was look at her, eyes narrowing. Then she spoke and her voice was harsh. "What makes _you_ so special? You're nothing but an average girl, aren't you? I bet you didn't even know what a youkai was before you came here!"

Yayoi was seething now, her eyes alight with an inner fire that was threatening to burn her out. "_I'm_ the one who gave him life again, I'm the one who even _found_ that miserable brat Sachiko! I'm the one who sacrificed_ lives _for him! And it's for _you_ that he does everything. It's for you that he brings _someone back to life_!" She snarled the last sentence, her entire face twisting with rage as she lashed out with her hand.

Rinako flinched, drawing back, but nothing hit her. Opening her eyes she saw Ryoichi's arm in front of her and Yayoi's claws imbedded in the pale flesh. Blood ran down in small trickles, staining his wide sleeves. Turning her eyes from the terrible sight, she gazed up at his face. Ryoichi's brows were drawn, but there wasn't any sign of pain on his face. He must have sensed her looking at him because his fingers tightened around hers, but his eyes never left Yayoi.

Yayoi, for her part, could do nothing but stare at her fingers in his skin, a look of complete shock on her face.

"That wasn't a very wise idea, Yayoi," he warned her. His arm followed hers when she tried to pull her claws out. "I do not think Sesshoumaru-sama would like to know that you attacked Rinako-san."

With a quick tug he wrenched himself free and brought his bloody arm back down to his side. "Now let us pass before he notices. Although I don't think it'll take long for him to smell blood. Even if it is mine."

Yayoi actually looked visibly frighten now, although Rinako wasn't sure if it was of Sesshoumaru-sama. The woman just continued to stare at her bloodstained claws as if nothing else existed in the world. "I--" she began, but then her voice died and she clenched her fingers.

Then she stood aside. Just like that she moved out of their way, pressing her red hand against the nearby railing. Not even bothering to take a last glance in her direction, Ryoichi ushered Rinako up the stairs. But Rinako looked back and saw her watching them, an almost unreadable --and yet so _lost_-- expression on her face.

That was the last she saw before the door slid shut behind them.

* * *

Mama Higurashi gathered up her jacket from the back room of the library. Glancing at the clock she figured she had a good fifteen minutes to get home before Souta would arrive. Since the library was only eight minutes from the shrine on foot, she'd be back in no time.

Folding her coat over her arm, Higurashi-san walked out the back door and into a rather pleasant afternoon. Waving to one of the janitors who was also leaving she then turned the corner and began her familiar trip down the sidewalk. She thought about stopping at the one candy shop, but then decided not to; Souta ate too many sweets anyway.

Less than one block before she turned off the main road onto the street the shrine was on she felt an odd chill. It wasn't too windy, so she didn't think it was that. And the wind wouldn't put her nerves so on edge. Clutching her purse, Higurashi-san took an uneasy glance over her shoulder. There was no one there, but that didn't help her relax. In fact, it only made her more nervous.

It felt as if she was being hunted...or at least that there was a wild animal nearby, lurking…

Forcing herself to breathe evenly, Higurashi-san continued to walk at the same leisurely pace. If she kept going straight she would reach a small bakery and she could go inside…

She was passing an alleyway when a motion caught her eye. Glancing left, she saw a whole bunch of teenagers slumped down in the dark. A few of them glanced up at her and her heart leapt up in her throat.

They all had eyes like Inu-Yasha.

None of them were gold, but they were all inhuman.

"Get lost!" one of them hissed, her (if the breasts meant anything) forehead furrowing in a deep frown. Another snarled something at his comrade that sounded like a scolding. A few others stood up slowly, so much like a predator.

Higurashi-san did the only thing she could do. She kept walking. Averting her eyes she just continued straight, aiming for that store even as her heart beat a mile a minute. She thought to call the police, but what could police do with youkai?

_What are they doing here?_ she wondered frantically even as she kept her eyes in front of her. Her ears were straining for any sign of movement behind her, however. The chill still hadn't gone away. _What are they doing so close to the shrine? What happened in the past to bring them here? Do they know Inu-Yasha?_

That last thought almost made her pause. But, the threatening atmosphere that had exuded from that dark alleyway didn't fit with him at all. He never made her feel this way.

One thing was for sure. She had to get back to the shrine. And then find a way to do something about these youkai.

Having them there just wasn't natural. Something was very, very wrong.

Oh, Kagome, come home.

* * *

  


**A/N:** Gah! Oh how I dislike most of this chapter! makes an annoyed face It was a pain in the ass to write and it came out so crappy…

It was so hard to get this chapter to move along, even before I cut stuff out. It doesn't help that I had to skim the old chapters to remember the tone I was using with this story. It's so different than what I've been doing and I had to get back into the style again. To be honest, I think my writing has changed from the beginning until now (those shorts in-between didn't help any). I don't know if it's for the better or worse, but at least the chapter's done!

So, anyway, there you have it. Outside. With Higurashi-san (I've always liked her, but it's grown even worse recently…) And then Rinako getting back some of her memories…at least kind of…

What do I mean by that? Well…as you can see she doesn't remember _having_ a past life. She just recalls bits and pieces of memories she doesn't know the source of. But don't you fear. That'll be coming REAL soon…

And that thing with Tenseiga...I've been planning for the sword's intervention since the beginning of this story. The Tenseiga plays a **very** large role in what happened to Sesshoumaru in the past. As well as the future, of course.

Wouldn't you think that dying and being resurrected would leave a big impression on someone? Me too.

Yes, I know I made the sword talk. But that's been planned since the beginning too. In fact, this is what helped to influence my choice of Sesshoumaru and his Swords at the 30shards LJ community (these contributions can be found under my one story Ken.)

Well…there's your chapter. The next will hopefully take a lot less time now that the plot is actually in motion, but I won't make any promises...

sighs at the thought of all the plot holes in this story Oh well… That's what happens when I don't write it all and then revise it all at once…Good thing this isn't a novel…


	13. Dreams

**Memory of a Soul**  
Airian Reesu

Chapter 13: Dreams

Natsuko ran, head down, knees bent, and her blood rushing through her ears. She didn't care how much noise she made, or how many people saw her. She just had to _leave_. Her stomach roiled as something cold and killing gripped her insides and she just wanted to run until her legs cracked open and bleed.

But she couldn't. She couldn't just keep going forever. She had to _stop_ this.

Biting down hard to strangle the tiny whimpers of fear she felt building in her chest, she dug her feet into the gravel of the main courtyard and made straight for the exit. Although she was leaving the source of her fear behind she still felt pursued and her breath came in wheezing gasps. She could just picture it…white paws pounding the earth behind her, hot vaporous breath on her back, fangs in her neck…

Sword through her back.

She knew it was just her imagination, but it didn't stop. All she could see was that hand that --with just a quick twist-- had crushed a neck. Just like that. She remembered standing beside Yayoi on the veranda, the air thick with the older woman's jealously as they watched those two sitting so close and then, in the time it took to scar her, a man was dead.

And as Yayoi had hurried forward, Natsuko had run like hell backwards. Crashing through the abandoned halls, she hadn't even bothered to stick around for the outcome. Because, what good could come of such a cold-blooded murder?

Just like that. Flick, crack, dead.

The main gate loomed before her and Natsuko hit it at a dead run. Thrusting out her hands, she pushed the bolt, swung the gate back, and let it fall shut behind her. She didn't care if someone found it unlocked. Her skin prickled, inquisitive warmth pulling at her, and then she was through Yayoi's barrier.

She ran a few more feet down the hillside before she slowed to a sudden stop, knees snapping stiff. Now, outside of the immediate threat, her adrenaline drained from her limbs and she wobbled. Coughing in an attempt to get her breath again, she had to fight the urge to sink down to the cool grass under her feet.

It was only then that she realized that they were still bare from having been in the house. And that they hurt like hell from the gravel. Wincing, she lifted her left foot and studied the small cuts that littered the surface.

_Fuck, now they can track me. _

It took Natsuko a moment to realize what she meant by that thought. It had just come out of nowhere, hitting her broadside and leaving her floundering in her mind. It took some time, but then she was finally able to label it as instinct. A youkai's instinct.

"I don't want to be like this," she hissed, slamming her foot down and staring back at the wall behind her. "I don't want to be like _that_!" She felt so sick just thinking about it, her stomach heaving.

So she ran, in hopes of leaving _that_ behind. But it ran with her and she slowly recognized the fact that she couldn't stop hating what she was until _he_ was dead. That beast that killed so easily --_twitch, snap, break_-- was the reason she was like this, why her fingertips itched and she had these strange, animalistic thoughts. Why she felt so tight in her skin and the smog left her breathless. Why she wasn't human any longer.

_Oh, Yayoi, what you've got us into_, she moaned silently as she slipped down the last few steps of the path. Taking a sharp right she moved to what probably had once been a guardhouse. It was so close to being completely hidden by trees that it was impossible to see until you were almost at its door. The wood had decayed and it was only the stone base that kept the building standing.

Slowing down, she reached for the old warped door and shoved it open. Squinting into the murky darkness, she saw what she was looking for. There, in the patch of light from a hole in the roof, was the shiny hood of her car.

What had once been a guardhouse had become a fine car garage after a few hasty renovations and a rather tight fit. It had been Yayoi's idea and Natsuko was quite happy now that she had gone along with it. Because now no one could see or hear her leave. She could be all the way to the city by the time they even knew that she was gone.

Sucking in an apprehensive breath in spite of herself, Natsuko rummaged in the small bag tucked in her obi and withdrew her key. Squeezing along the wall, she made it around to the front of the car, where she pushed aside the back wall of the hut that she had arranged as a temporary garage door. Sliding around the front fender she climbed in the vehicle. Her stomach was doing random flip-flops in her gut and for a moment she feared that she might make a mess on her seat. But she forced all her courage to the front and used it to push down the bitter tasting bile.

"I can do this," she chanted, inserting her key in the ignition. "I can stop this. I can save Yayoi and everybody else. I can do this_. I can do this_." Squeezing her eyes shut she threw her hand forward. The engine sputtered to life under her fingers and was soon purring in her ears like a sedated kitten.

The tension melted from her shoulders as the gentle trembling underneath her wormed its way into her senses. She was doing this. She was stopping this. No one was going to get in her way.

Expelling the breath she hadn't known that she was holding, Natsuko threw the car into drive and, as she rolled out of the shed, she felt a sense of elation spread over her. Once on the road she couldn't keep herself from smirking at the steadily receding castle.

"I'm going to save the day. I can do it."

8

* * *

8

Yayoi felt the wood biting into her side but she didn't dare move. All she could do was stare at the blood on her hand and wonder what had really happened. That had been Ryoichi…and that had been her. Yes…yes that was how it had been.

Sucking in a wavering breath, she flexed her hand and something in her tightened. Yes, that had been her, that had been Ryoichi, and that was his blood on her fingers.

It took so long for the murmurs of the nearby crowd to reach her fogged brain. But when they finally did and she looked up, Yayoi wasn't sure she liked what she saw.

Although nearly halfway across the back garden, the heat behind Sesshoumaru's hard glare made it feel as if he were right in her face. His knuckles were still white around the sword hilt, his shoulders hunching just the slightest as he stared her down.

_He'd seen me, hadn't he?_ Yayoi wasn't so much afraid as resigned. She should have known something like this would happen. There was only so much a jealous woman could do before she broke. And that was what she was. Nothing more than a jealous bitch.

Just thinking those words caused the bitterness within her to swell in a tempest, choking her. It filled her to the brim, leaking out as salty tears on her face. She had a right to feel this way. She'd done so much for him and for what? To have him glare at her, ignore her, _scorn_ her. And for some girl who Yayoi didn't even know, some girl who'd done nothing, he…well, he did the impossible.

Yayoi's eyes traveled down Sesshoumaru's arm to the sword he held. It looked so normal, glittering in the afternoon sun. But it wasn't, and she'd known that. She just hadn't chosen to believe it.

Of all the stories she'd learned about the taiyoukai, the news of a life-bearing sword was completely incongruous with his reputation. It had only been in a small, relatively indecipherable text that she had found the reference to the second blade, Tenseiga. And as soon as she read about its power she'd laughed at the pure fairytale quality. Because assuredly something like _that_ had to be a tall tale. Why would a youkai have a sword of life? How could such a blade _exist_?

Yet, when he had jumped back down in the grave and removed two swords, she'd begun to reconsider. Now she was forced to face the truth.

Sesshoumaru was even more powerful than she'd thought.

The sword suddenly jerked, moving out of her line of sight and Yayoi lifted her head. Sesshoumaru was sheathing the blade, a swift near-undetectable movement of his arm that gave credence to his practiced speed. Yayoi followed the movement the best she could, and she had just enough time to see the blue hilt of that legendary sword when he spoke.

"You will explain."

Yayoi's heart leapt up into her throat before she could control herself and she had to swallow the apprehension like she would swallow thick honey, so slow and agonizingly choking. Clasping her hands in front of her in a useless attempt to hide the blood on her hands, Yayoi perform a polite bow.

"Sesshoumaru-sama," she murmured, head still down even as her whole body trembled, blood rushing in her ears. "If you would kindly come inside we can discuss everything that had happened and--"

"You will explain now." He didn't raise his voice at all but Yayoi still flinched.

"Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama…" Yayoi contemplated holding out, finding something else to say that really wouldn't tell him anything. But she didn't. She tried, turning the thoughts over in her mind, but then that sudden compulsion overtook her. Her lips started to move on their own and she cursed this weakness. It was the same one that told him about the barrier, the same one that was going to ruin all her plans and she wanted to cry.

Why was she such a weak creature? Why did the world hate her so much?

And why, _why_, was she never first in anything? She was just weak, pathetic, ignored Yayoi.

Her voice was only a whisper, toned down by her own sense of insignificance. It was barely discernable to her ears but she knew he heard them. And yet the others that slowly backed away from him to the edges of the courtyard could not. Which was all for the better.

She told him how the others were partial youkai and that they were reacting to his presence. She told him how that had been her intention, to awaken the long since dead youkai. But her words stopped on the idea of control, of who was to lead them. She had enough self-preservation not to say it would be her. At least that was how it had been written into her plans.

When her voice died she was greeted with silence. The wind did not even blow, leaving the air heavy with a stifling feeling that made Yayoi want to squirm. All she did was keep her head down, waiting for it to end.

"You used this Sesshoumaru in order to resurrect the youkai race." It wasn't so much a question as a lackadaisical comment and something in Yayoi's gut twisted. She raised her head slowly and peered at him through her lashes. He was staring at her with an intensity that made her want to step back. It seemed that his tone was nothing to go by. "You used…" he stopped then and that's when she felt it. He was angry. His anger swirled around him in the air and still his face did not change.

Then he said the last thing she'd expected to ever hear. "Come here."

Some small part of her jumped with ecstatic joy with those words while the more sensible region of her brain screamed at her to run. Not knowing what to do, Yayoi did nothing.

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed a fraction. "Mutt…" he warned, his hand rising to chest height. With a quick jerk of his fingers the joints popped, a sickening sound that sank all the way down into her belly. Biting her lip, Yayoi stared at those long slender claws and, instead of doing as he said, she thought. She stared at those fingers and told herself _I want those_.

Either on herself or on him, she didn't quite know. As it was, his were rather nice…

Air rushed past her then, and sharp needles embedded in her skin. She turned to look, but the earth jerked beneath her and before she knew it she was tossed, skidding backwards across the grass. Her feet and legs screamed in agony as she tried to slow herself down, only to end up tumbling head over heels until she came to a rather undignified stop. She heard a distant gasp as the semi-youkai behind her noticed what was going on. Lifting her head, she turned just in time to see Sesshoumaru appear behind her.

"I told you to move," he remarked, his tone deadpan, before reaching down and grabbing her wrist. His claws fit almost perfectly in the incisions already carved into her flesh.

Yayoi was ashamed to find her arm trembling in his grasp. "Sesshoumaru-sama, I--" she began, but he cut her off by propelling her forward with brute force, her knees dragging across the grass and gravel. He let her go soon enough and she crashed down against the unyielding ground.

Trying her best to gather her breath back, she twisted her head around to glance up at him. His face was still as stone, but his eyes…his eyes. They terrified her.

Still gold, there was something there that was_ so dark,_ something that made his gaze resemble an all-consuming blaze...one that could easily burn her alive.

Yayoi realized, _just then_, exactly what she'd gotten them all into.

"Take it down," he ordered, jerking his head towards what Yayoi realized was the end of the property.

Thrown off-balance, all Yayoi could do was gape up at him.

His eyes darkened further and she could do nothing but stare into that maelstrom of gold. It was like a truck, barreling down at her, and she just stood in the street and watched…

"Now."

"I…I…" she stuttered, her tongue stumbling over her teeth. She cringed when his eyes narrowed and he wrenched her arm back. Her shoulder ached from the pressure. She tried to grit her teeth, to fight against the pain, but she couldn't. He kept pushing her arm back…back...back…until it popped, her whole shoulder coming out of joint. The pain raced through her like white-hot lightening and apparently she wasn't as strong as she'd thought. She tried to stop the shameful, pain-induced tears that tore at her eyes, but it was to no avail.

"All right!" she cried. "All right!"

The pain slackened somewhat and Yayoi was sure she heard the bones in her shoulder grind against each other as they attempted to pop back into place. The whole joint throbbed and she stifled tiny whimpers of pain.

"I…I will need time…" she whispered, wincing when the force on her arm increased minutely. "An hour, no more. I swear!"

The pressure reduced a fraction. Yayoi blinked up through the haze of pain to meet golden eyes that were so dark that they were now a reddish-brown, an unnatural light glimmering from some place unseen to make them glow from the inside out, even in the fading sunlight. They were so beautiful…

Funny how he looked his most dazzling when angered…

Her daydreaming was cut short when he suddenly released her. She hit the ground hard, her shoulder shifting abnormally within its socket. She lay there breathless, staring up at him. He glared down at her, before turning his head to look behind him. His hair drifted like burnished silver before her dazed eyes and Yayoi suppressed a shudder.

Somewhere inside her, somewhere where her common sense had long ago been banished, a tiny voice told her she was being a fool. A lovesick little fool. But, sitting there, so close and yet not touching this glorious creature, she couldn't keep the cravings down anymore.

Oh, what would it be like…what she wouldn't give….

Then he spoke and something in her quivered. Almost as if she was afraid… "An hour. That is all I give you." He turned back around to look at her and Yayoi just stared. "In an hour I shall be rid of this place, or you can consider yourself without your pitiful _army_." He spat the words at her like they were garbage and that shook some of the haze out of Yayoi's mind.

"You…" she whispered, but could not go on. So…he knew. He'd figured it out.

The look he gave her was pure disdain. "Do not think so lowly of this Sesshoumaru, mutt. Revealing your true motives made the rest of it fall into place easily." He glanced over his shoulder again, a slight scowl forming on his face. "You may as well call off your underlings, or I may have to dispose of them before your time is up."

This confused Yayoi. Shaking her head, she bent forward as much as she dared in order to see around the demon's leg. Her heart skipped a beat.

The semi-youkai that had remained in the garden were warily converging around the two by the barrier, not quite sure of how to approach Sesshoumaru but knowing that Yayoi was in peril.

Taking a quick glance up at Sesshoumaru's rather displeased face, Yayoi swallowed her light bit of joy before she made a faint motion of dismissal with her hand. "It…it's all right," she told them, shakily. "Go back inside…"

They all obeyed her, albeit slowly. It was only when Sesshoumaru spoke again that they stopped.

"You."

Kajiro, who stood at the very edge of the horde, turned in shock. He stared at Sesshoumaru with the eyes of a hounded animal. He didn't so much speak as make a small squeaking sound of pure terror.

"Come here."

Kajiro stood stone still for a long moment, his eyes jumping longingly for the distant door, but he didn't dare run. Sesshoumaru seemed to expect this behavior. Bringing up his one hand, he cracked his knuckles again, a sound that made Yayoi quiver with some strange delight.

It had the opposite effect on Kajiro. It made him run. Yet, to Yayoi's astonishment, he ran _towards_ Sesshoumaru. Making small, frightened noise, he collapsed a few paces away from the taiyoukai's feet, swaying slightly.

A sharp claw was abruptly pointed at Yayoi. "Assist her," Sesshoumaru told the terrified man at his feet. "You owe me this."

Kajiro's head almost bounced off his neck as he hastened to nod, repeatedly. Yayoi stared at him. She knew him from before this and…this wasn't Kajiro.

This was nothing but a broken man.

Yayoi found herself once again awed by the power of a youkai.

Sesshoumaru had his eyes on her again and Yayoi raised her head, slowly. The intensity of that gaze made her stomach flutter. "Begin."

Yayoi could do nothing but obey.

For this…this was what Ryoichi had feared all along.

And Yayoi found herself powerless to stop it.

8

* * *

8 

Ryoichi pushed the door to the girls' room open and allowed Rinako to go in first. She was more than pleased to do so; she'd never felt so weary in her life. With her adrenaline gone, the very marrow of her bones was like stone and it was all she could do to drag herself this far.

"What _happened_?"

Azarni was standing in the middle of the room with expressions of worry and fear intermingling on her face. Her temporary servant, Sei, sat behind her on the floor, looking surprisingly human in face of all that had just happened. Behind them the window screen had been pulled from the window and Rinako knew they had been watching.

Rinako swayed unsteadily on her feet, knowing she had to sit down soon but not feeling strong enough to enter the room.

"Rinako," Azarni whispered, coming forward and clutching her forearms in her two small hands. "Come in here and sit. You look like you're going to faint."

Rinako let herself be led over to her futon on stumbling legs. She sank down gratefully, her legs giving out at the exact moment. She heard the door close and she looked up to see that Ryoichi had stayed. He crossed the room and sat next to her despite Arzani's somewhat suspicious glance.

"Are you all right?" he asked her softly, peering at her with soulful eyes.

Rinako only shook her head, reaching down for the arms he'd folded in his lap. "I think we should worry more about you than me, Ryoichi-san. Look at your arm, its--" she stopped in mid-sentence, staring at the now closed wounds on his arm--no, make that _arms_, since the other seemed to have a quick-disappearing burn of some sort. "Ryoichi-san…you're healing…"

He actually looked somewhat bashful as he pulled his arms back. "I know. I'm supposed to do that; it's one perk of being part youkai." He attempted a grin but it died within moments and he didn't try again.

A strained hush fell over the small room and Rinako felt her eyelids drifting closed. Maybe if she fell asleep all of this would be nothing but a dream…

_But then_, she thought, _do I really want it to be one?_

She wasn't quite sure. But one thing she did know-- she knew that sword. She did not really understand why or how she knew it; she just did. If that was a good thing or not she had no way of telling.

If she had the energy, Rinako would have wondered why a resurrecting sword didn't startle her. As it was she just accepted it; it made sense to her. She wasn't even all that concerned about Sesshoumaru's swift kill anymore, because that made sense too, somehow. And Yayoi…well, she wasn't so frightening now that she was left behind.

What was truly bothering her was the fact that Sesshoumaru had done what she'd asked him to do so quickly.

Rinako let her eyes sink shut and she stared into the darkness. She heard voices around her talking; one was Azarni asking questions and Ryoichi answering. Her body felt like it was melting into mush and she let herself sink down to the futon below. She felt sheets being pulled up around her, and heard Ryoichi say something close by, but she just ignored him, letting herself relax against the mattress.

_Why had he done that?_ she asked herself, sleepily. _What made me so important to command life like that? _

Rinako drifted off to sleep, that question echoing softly through her mind.

8

* * *

8 

She was sitting in her room, perched on the edge of her bed, a book open in her lap. Her fingers traced the outer edges, picking lightly at the frayed fabric of the cover. The carpet was rough under her bare toes, like drying grass in summer. She began to hum slightly, tracing patterns in the green rug.

"Are you waiting for someone, too?" a voice asked behind her.

Turning, she saw an old woman lying there. Her skin was wrinkled with laughter and age, cloudy eyes peering up at her from the futon. The sheets were frayed, hand woven, and spread out past the pallet edge to spill over the wooden, hand-swept floor.

"I really don't know what I'm doing, actually. I'm rather confused."

The old woman smiled through a wince. "I've been there a few times, myself. In fact, my body's a little confused now. I'm supposed to be dying, but here I am talking to you."

"Oh. Well, don't let me keep you," she said, inanely.

"You remember this, don't you?" the old woman continued, ignoring her. "This coldness…this pain…this sightlessness. This tiny foolish thought outside all others that says that maybe, _maybe_, if only in passing, despite everything that had happened in your life, you'd see him again?"

"See who again?"

The old woman's head flopped to the right in a feeble attempt to shake her head. "Ah, so you don't know yet…I see."

She coughed, rubbing her hands together, rough spotted skin against skin. She felt cold and somewhat stiff. "I don't even know who you are, lady."

"You don't? Maybe I can tell you then." It sounded just like the old woman, except a step younger. She turned again and saw a woman standing there, dressed in a patched yet clean peasant's kimono. She was smiling through tired eyes, a woman who'd lived a busy life. She held a needle in one hand, a scrap of white fabric in the other. Her sandals were coated in dust from the village road she stood on, her back to an old hut.

"Can you, please?" she asked, feeling her shoulders sink under a silent burden she didn't know she had. "I'm very confused."

"It's quite simple." The woman told her, moving the fabric in her hands until she held up the one ragged edge. "She's a thread is all."

"But I don't sew."

"That isn't true. Everyone sews. I like white the best, myself."

"As do I," another voice spoke, just a shade younger. She turned to greet a yard of children, a woman --_so familiar_-- standing at the head and watching her with sunny eyes. "Perhaps you would like to sit?" the woman asked so kindly, motioning to the door.

"Yes…yes, thank you…"

As she crossed that mile-yard, the children scrambled up, flocking around her feet and impeding her process. She was slugging through a sea of bodies that never ended and _she'd been here before_…

"Mama?" one little boy asked, his brown eyes _so big_, pulling on her lengthy skirt with well kept little fingers, before the woman hushed him with a motherly smile.

"Quiet now. Mama has to go inside now. Be good."

Then she ducked under the covered door. Kneeling there was a young woman, just at the marriage age. She looked up from inside her wedding kimono; her face was made up the best it could on little money, her hair gleaming black. She looked up with dark forlorn eyes.

"I really don't know what I'm doing here. Do you?"

"No…" she said, feeling just as unsure as this bride did.

"I feel so lonely, but this is for the best, huh? There's really nothing else and he is nice to me."

"I suppose that's the best then," she agreed, watching the woman wipe at her eyes. Red was smeared over the white of her kimono sleeve and the bride cringed.

"I don't like this color anymore, but I can't just put it behind me. Because the past really doesn't stay there, you know. It likes to chase you, it seems."

"Do you need someone to fix that for you?"

The bride smiled sadly. "I don't think anyone can. But that's okay. I'm used to not crying and that helps a little bit."

"But maybe you should cry, that way it will all go away…"

The bride shook her head. "No, I can't do that. I have to go forward, you know. It can't be my whole life. I have to be strong, because that's what makes the past worth it."

"Does it?" Another voice asked, a mere breath. She turned and there stood a little girl. She had her arms wrapped about her torso, her wavering face staring at the ground. The wind blew the leaves in the dark woods behind her, tossing her hair. "It hurts so much, though. I really don't know why this happened…"

"What happened…?" she whispered through cracked lips. She felt dizzy, swaying on her feet as the adolescent rubbed her little arms. Her chest felt so _heavy_…

"I really don't like remembering it, you know, but I can't forget it. I could never forget him and it wouldn't be right to do so. Not after what he did for me."

Her heart seized, turning her cold and she _had to know_. "Who IS he?"

"How can you not remember…?" the girl asked, so quietly it was just a movement of lips.

Then the adolescent pointed over her shoulder.

She turned.

There were bodies everywhere, melted and torn and decapitated and _dead_. Some twitched, others laughed even as they died. All of them weren't human.

A head of silver hair waved before her, then a green skirt and voices screamed about her, great tremors racked the ground and she gripped the slim object between her tiny hands, wanting to close her eyes but she couldn't because he was out there but that wasn't him, was it? He was supposed to be white, not red, right?

Something roared, more voices yelled, she heard a name but all she could do was hold on harder. There was a stench on the air, dead and decay and poison and she felt sick. But she couldn't move. He'd said not to.

And then and then and then…he was right there, breathing, living, ALIVE, but then then then…

It exploded everywhere, a whip of liquid against her face burning hot and he wasn't there any more. He was in pieces and one hit her face and she wanted to close her eyes but couldn't and _what happened? _A voice that wasn't a voice trembled and sobbed in her ears alone and she opened her mouth, she wanted to wanted to wanted to…

The little girl just started screaming. One word one name one person and she _screamed_--

8

* * *

8 

Rinako pitched upright in the bed, her throat hoarse and dry. Her whole body trembled but she still tried to reach out for the little girl who was screaming, to try to comfort her.

It was only when someone grasped her arms that she realized that it wasn't a little girl.

It was she. She was the one crying…

"Rinako!" Azarni was at her side, trying to hold her still. Rinako felt her hands and took a quick glance at her shocked expression. "Why did you call _that_ name, Rinako?" her friend asked in a hurried whisper, the look of a hunted animal on her face.

What name, what name…oh, the blood! She felt like screaming again; her whole body ached with the suppressed sobs of days long past. All the times when she'd needed to be strong for her family, even in the face of the nightmares of the worst day of her life…

People were still talking to her, a girl she knew and a man she'd just met but she couldn't focus. Her head was swimming and all she wanted was…who she wanted was…

She looked up, compelled by some unknown force. Perhaps some innate sense, perhaps the simple snap of screen against frame. Whatever it was, he was there in the doorway, his white form framed by the dark night-tinted wood. Like a ghost. She's almost thought he was until Arzani nails bit into her arms. If she was afraid then he was real, because no one else could see her ghosts…

"You're here…" she whispered, struggling with the blankets wrapped around her legs. They wouldn't let her go and she started to struggle, frantic to get to him, to see if he was real. She was almost crying in frustration when she felt a hand on her leg. She went to strike out but she recognized Ryoichi's voice and let him get her loose.

She went to get up but her legs felt so weak under her and she just couldn't get there fast enough. She ended up crumpled on her futon after an unsuccessful stand. She thought Arzani was going to help her up after that, but her friend pulled away unexpectedly. She raised her head and there was…

Sesshoumaru-sama.

He was right there, kneeling on the floor right in front of her. He sat like a prince, chin up and so regal. But he was there and she knew she was crying. She was torn between reaching for him or just savoring the image. What if he wasn't really there? What if he evaporated on the edge of a dream or maybe…maybe…maybe all that red would explode again and she'd be covered in him…again…again…

"Rinako."

His voice was like a whip crack through the fog of her mind and she lifted her eyes to meet his. There were such a pretty gold, like morning suns or the hearts of flowers. And she'd told him that before but she didn't think he would remember something so simple and childish.

"Why did you call out for this Sesshoumaru?" It was such a simple question but she found that she couldn't articulate an answer. Her lips floundered to form the words, her breath struggled to find the strength and she was left mute. Like so long ago.

So she did the first thing she could. She reached out for him. Her fingers slid over the smooth silk he wore and she wrapped them in it, felt its coldness and remembered it. It was the gesture of a child, the silent plea of the frightened, and she wanted him to know it was she.

And he had to, because she looked up into his face then and it was lighter. It was crystal instead of granite and she was sure that if she found the right crack in that mask she could break it and it wouldn't hurt him at all. But she liked that strong mask so it would stay because that's how things were for them.

She stretched her arms up like a child begging to be held, she curled them back behind his neck to hold on and he let her. She pulled him close -- or was it pulled herself closer? --and he let her, because that's how things were for them. She'd never held him as a woman because he hadn't been there and had instead left an aching void that was impossible to fill. So she took her role of the child, curling up against him and sharing his warmth and wanting his comfort.

And he gave it. Because that's how things were for Rin and her Sesshoumaru-sama.

She held on tight, afraid he would let go, and she would be lost to drown in the roaring waves of old memories. Because _here_ she could forget what she was supposed to remember, because this was what she was looking for and had finally found after forever.

She pressed her face against the warm skin of his neck and felt layers of silken hair pool around her, prickles of memory against her skin, as he lowered his head to ease the strain on her arms. A hand was placed against her shoulder blades, fingers spread to hold her still, giving silent comfort and she was crying because of it. There she was spooned against him just like she remembered, once or twice. His breath was in her ear, quiet and yet so loud to her because it meant he was alive.

She'd missed him so much over all those years.

She didn't want to ask the question but it had been festering in her mind for years and years. It was a child's query. It was naïve and lacked thought, because, being older, all her possible answers made sense, but it had still haunted her forever. She wanted to ask it but feared the answer, feared his response. She didn't know what she wanted.

But she asked it anyway. Her lips hardly moved, pressed up against him as she was, but he could hear her. Sesshoumaru-sama could hear everything. Even the silent cries of a lonely child's heart.

Her tongue felt so thick mouthing these words of two lifetimes. But the words echoed silently between them, hovering around them with its dark wings even as his grip on her tightened.

"Sesshoumaru-sama, why did you die and leave Rin all alone?"

8

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8 

**A/N**:

…I know. Strange dream sequence…which didn't go how I originally imagined it. I actually wanted it to be even _more_ abstract, if you can believe it…

Anyway…here's a really BIG step in their relationship. But I really didn't need to point that out to you, did I?

The Yayoi and Girls' Room parts were bitches to write! In fact, I had the last Sess-Rin part written almost a month ago! Yes, that is a sign of my slowness….

Annyway, I had gotten many comments on my whining last chapter. And, well, thank you for telling me it wasn't as crappy as I thought. I guess I should stop being such a baby sometimes, huh? But I still think that Sess could have been much better… sigh… I suppose what really made me dislike the last chapter was how long it took. I would start working on it, and then…nothing. It wouldn't go anywhere and I had to force it into action.

As it stands, I'm not going to say what I think about this chapter, overall. I'll shut up from now on…


	14. Interference

**Memory of a Soul**  
Airian Reesu

**For Your Reference:  
Hematologist**: One who studies the generation, anatomy, physiology, and the pathology of the blood.

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Chapter 14: Interference

"I see…" Nishioka murmured into the phone that his shoulder held propped against his ear. His hands were busy trying to make notes on a sheet of loose paper. It wasn't working so well; his fingers were quivering so much that the words were barely discernable. It was also taking a rather sizable effort to keep his voice steady.

"It was a good idea to get out of there, Natsuko," he told his student, forgoing his note-taking for the time being. It was a futile effort in the face of his excitement. Instead he began pacing the small room, tethered by the coiled phone cord.

"Yes, you can come here. I'll call down to the desk and tell them to let you up. Get here as fast as you can." Waiting for her to hang up, he stopped stiff, nerves taunt. The moment the connection clicked closed, he jumped to life. One quick, curt call to the receptionist downstairs later, he was left to stand in the middle of his dusky office. His fingers fumbled together as he tried to contain his excitement.

Things were finally starting to come together. Now, with Natsuko so eager to get rid of the youkai, she would be more than willing to betray her precious Yayoi and lead him to the estate. This little delay had also given him ample time to prepare.

That thought reminded him of what he'd been doing when the phone interrupted him. Picking up his paper once more, he closed his eyes, composed himself, and then entered one of the doors behind his desk.

It was a typical treatment room, with white walls, steel table, and built-in cabinets. The only difference here were the machines that stood against the far wall. They were all befitting someone who was in a coma as opposed to a patient in for a check up. All of them were shut down, however, except for one. The heart monitor was attached to the little girl who lay on her stomach on the table. Her eyes were closed, but he knew she wasn't asleep. The normal-paced beeping of the monitor gave her away.

Nishioka didn't say a word to his niece, even when she cracked open one shy eye to look up at him. He only went over to the side bench and withdrew a needle and a handful of collecting tubes. Crossing the room to stand beside her, he drew up the end of the flimsy cotton sheet and exposed her legs.

He couldn't help to grimace at the sight of those feeble, atrophied appendages. Pity that someone with such strong miko blood would be born a cripple. If it had not been for his plan, all of her glorious inbred power would be going to waste.

Akako, the daughter of Nishioka's only sister, was the first real priestess to be born into the family since his mother. His mother, a powerful yet slightly aloof woman, had taken on the girl's training immediately. There was not much to be taught in this day and age, since youkai no longer existed. Miko blood was outdated in most respects and only a strict family line kept it alive in their lineage today. The training was more of a formality than anything truly vigorous. It wasn't even a formality that needed to be undertaken at all, because no one believed in magic powers any longer. No one would believe in a priestess that had the power to purify.

But his mother was a stickler for tradition and thus Akako had become an apprentice miko. After a year of this, his mother had pronounced her granddaughter as a much stronger miko, claiming that her blood was much purer than her own was. Nishioka had often wondered how that could be, since she was the generation farthest removed from their miko ancestor. His mother had simple said that it was most likely because of her birth defect. Fate had decided to grant her mightier powers in return for her sacrifice.

Nishioka didn't really believe that crap, but he wasn't truly worried about it any longer. Akako and her strangeness suited his needs, and that was good enough.

"Was that Natsuko-chan on the phone?" Akako asked him in a whisper as he cleaned the skin behind her knee with antiseptic. This was the perfect place for what he was to do, because there, no one would ever see the puncture marks.

He grunted a response, intent on his work. Suiting up the needle, he used his other hand to move her foot in order to tighten the muscle and expose the veins before plunging the needle into her leg. He didn't have to be as painstakingly careful with Akako like he had to be with real patients. She couldn't feel a thing. Attaching the collecting tube, he loosened his hold on her so that enough blood would flow through the needle to fill the small vial, before closing the tube and picking up another.

Akako didn't move, just like always. She just remained flat on her stomach, staring at the distant wall. "Will Natsuko-chan be coming here?"

"Yes," he answered impatiently, watching the red liquid fill the little plastic container. There, still warm under his hands, was an answer to many -- if not all-- of his problems.

After a few more vials he stopped, pressing a small cotton piece against the wound. Using plain medical tape, he secured the padding before leaning over the table and flipping his niece onto her back. Akako blinked rapidly from the harsh, overhead lights. He picked her up a moment later, putting her down in her wheelchair and strapping her legs in.

Miko blood, he mused as he watched Akako arrange her ridiculous blanket over her legs, was the key. According to the old scrolls he'd found, pure miko's blood, when mixed with certain herbs, could create a sort of powerful tranquilizer if used correctly. If used incorrectly, it could mean death, naturally, but Nishioka wasn't worried about that. With a taiyoukai it would take a great deal of miko blood indeed to kill him.

"Oji-san, can I ask you something?"

Nishioka's eyes slid over to his niece. "What is it?"

Akako sat in her chair, twiddling her thumbs absently. She didn't look up when she finally spoke. "When can I stop?"

Nishioka was silent for a moment. His eyes drifted back over to the red vials on the counter. "Soon enough, I suppose. Why?" He turned to her then, eyes narrowing in accusation. "You said you liked helping Oji-san."

Akako paled, her hands coming up in entreaty "No…no, it's not that, Oji-san! I promise! It's just that I keep getting tired and…" Her voice trailed off. "Akako will keep helping Oji-san if he wants her to," she whispered.

"Hn…and here I thought you were going to be a bad girl, Akako," Nishioka drawled, just to string her along a little more. Having her willing made it much easier on him and less blood lost. Although, if he thought about it, her struggling would not amount to much since she could not move her legs.

The phone rang in the next room. Opening one of the upper cupboards, Nishioka made sure to store the fresh blood amongst the other collected vials before pushing Akako out of the room. Leaving her right by the door, he waded through old paperwork and books to grab the receiver.

"Nishioka."

It was the receptionist and she sounded somewhat peeved. "Natsuko is here, Doctor. She's coming up now.

"Good." He hung up on her then, cutting off what would have been a minor rant about his rudeness. It always amazed him how many people were willing to waste his time and yet whenever _he_ came up with anything brilliant, no one would spare the time to listen to him. The world was focussed on such inconsequential things.

Nishioka cleared a path towards his desk, falling down in the chair behind it. Akako had started humming quietly to herself, twiddling her thumbs again. It was a rather annoying habit. He did his best to ignore her, deciding to contemplate the graying ceiling instead.

He hadn't always been here. He recalled his old office quiet fondly. He'd had his own secretary and assistants, not to mention room for his texts and notes. He'd been a well-respected hematologist once. Until, that is, he mentioned youkai.

He'd seen it in people's blood. It was such a small thing, nearly inconsequential. A minute morphing of healthy DNA, a change in the blood makeup. His peers had not noticed it-- possibly because they had not known what to look for. But he had always known; he had memorized the stories. And there it had been, clear as day under the lens of his microscope; proof that these legendary creatures had once lived.

He'd even gone so far as to mix his own blood with one of the used samples, and he'd been rewarded with what he considered a satisfactory reaction. The partial youkai blood had…well… _shied_ away from his miko ancestry, for lack of a better term. He could never exactly explain what had happened, but it had been proof enough.

Of course, explaining that to his fellows hadn't gone as planned. He might as well have told them that aliens were coming from Mars--they might even have believed _that_ more.

And that was how he'd ended up here--the crazy doctor. And getting this job had only been sure luck. Now he spent his days researching useless theories that did not interest him at all. He had not treated a real patient in years.

"Oji-san, am I gonna get to see the big doggy?"

Nishioka jerked out of his daze, nearly losing his seat at his niece's unexpected question. "The what--?" he spluttered a moment before the words truly hit him. He clenched his jaw. "No, not the…'big doggy'," he sneered. "_That_ is just childishness."

Akako appeared to be eager to ask more questions --nothing could stop that mouth, it seemed--but he was saved by a knock on the door. Rising from his chair, he was ready for Natsuko when she entered.

Or at least he'd thought so. What came bustling in wasn't the young woman he knew--it was a nervous ball of terror-fed energy. Her agitation was enough to fill the entire room, affecting everyone else inside like a disease.

He noticed vaguely that she was shoeless. How the receptionist hadn't noticed and stopped her, he didn't know.

Even Akako sounded hesitant, a reaction very different from her usual joyous greeting. "Natsuko-chan…?"

Natsuko ignored her, coming over to press shaking palms flat on his desk. Her face was a painful white, the shadows under her eyes dark as pitch. Leaning so that her face was right in front of his, noses nearly touching, she said in a quiet, falsely calm voice, "We have got to stop him."

Nishioka's eyebrows jumped up immediately. "Do we now?" he asked, trying to sound nonchalant but failing miserably. Thankfully, Natsuko didn't notice.

"Yes. He killed someone today."

Excitement erupted in him like a flare of good tidings. He had to stifle the urge to wring his hands in excitement. "I see…well, I suppose I could make a few calls and we can see about…well, you know."

Natsuko moved back, her face still sporting a pinched, strained look. "How long will that take? I'm afraid for Yayoi and--"

Waving a hand, Nishioka cut her off. "Do not worry. It will not take long. But, before I do it," Here he stopped, giving Natsuko a quick scan with his eyes. "I think I may have something to calm your nerves. Something Akako has helped me with."

Natsuko nodded her head, eagerly. "Anything would help around now."

"Good, follow me," he said, kindly, taking the young woman's arm and leading her around the desk to the back room. "It shouldn't hurt at all."

------------------------------------------

She jumped and tried not to wish. No 'I wish it hasn't closed', or 'I hope I can make it'. She attempted to wipe her mind clear, to just let time carry her away, but it was not working. She was anxious and with very good reason.

It wasn't every day you decided to test time.

Her eyes were closed the second she leapt to the second her feet landed gently on the ground. But she knew it had worked before the smell of dust and slight decay had reached her nose. The pull of the magic had been the same as each other time she had jumped into the well and that had been proof enough for her.

That wasn't her only concern. She'd been more than positive that _she_ could make it through. But, then there was…

"Oi, Kagome, comin' up?"

Kagome's head jerked up and there he was, smirking at her from the lip of the well.

_Jerk…_ she whispered to herself. While she'd been down here preparing for the moment when she would turn and find him beside her…he had already left. _Figures…_

Sighing softly to herself, she hoisted a familiar bag on her back, just like always. She couldn't be too angry with him--he was here, wasn't he?

"Looks like it worked, huh?" she said, reaching for the nearby ladder rung. She was stopped short when he appeared at her side, scooped her up, and pushed off into the air again. Digging her nails into his red coat, she realized that she would never quiet get used to such sudden flashes of vertigo.

She was back on her feet shortly and the two of them just stood there, staring at one another.

"So…" she began, fidgeting with the strap of her bag.

Inu-Yasha just stared at her, his ears swiveling slightly. He turned his face away a moment later. "Your mother's home."

"Yeah…" Why he would bring that up, she didn't know. Mama was usually here every time he came.

"Look, Kagome, you don't have to...well, you know…" the assertive tone drained from his voice quickly enough. He took a quick glance back to her then his eyes darted away again. "You can, you know…wait or somthin'. It ain't like nothin's gonna take it away from you _here_."

Kagome grinned up at him lightly, knowing exactly what he wasn't saying. Her hand rose to the small bauble she wore around her neck. The smooth, pink jewel was warm under her fingertips. It had been hard won, a battle full of so much she would only remember in nightmares. Sometimes she still felt a bit queasy at just the smallest breath of thought, but there was nothing she could really do. It was the price they had had to pay, she guessed.

At least all of their party was still alive. Recovery had been tough, but thankfully she had begun a stockpile of medical products and equipment with Kaede, just for such emergencies. It had been that elderly miko who had attended to them all alone until Kagome had been able-bodied enough to take over.

It wouldn't all fade--Kagome could still see the scars crossing the lower half of her fingers where Naraku had tried to cut them off to make her release her bow-- but the worst was over now.

All she had to do was wish away this Jewel.

Inu-Yasha grabbed the strap that was in her hand and pulled. Startled, Kagome let go and he took the opportunity to sling the sack over his own shoulder. "You shouldn't be carryin' that, Kagome."

Kagome sent him a grateful smile that held a twinge of annoyance. He'd been like this ever since. Apparently he did not like seeing her hurt--she had seen the guilt plain enough many times during the fight. That had been one of the reasons he had insisted on following her through this experimental jump.

That, and the fact that he didn't want to take the chance that she wouldn't come back. He hadn't so much as told her this as hinted at it, but the signs had been so obvious even a blind man could see the truth.

Kagome had to admit--after saying a cautious goodbye to all her dear friends, she had been happy knowing that he was at her side and she didn't have to face this alone.

Now it seemed that all her worrying had been for nothing.

"Wow…your mother's real close…" Inu-Yasha commented abruptly, his eyes narrowing as he stalked towards the door. She didn't dare tell him how strange he looked carrying her big yellow bag.

Kagome opened her mouth to ask him what he was talking about. She never got the chance.

The door cracked open hesitantly, light cutting like a knife through the murky darkness of the well house. An instant later a familiar head popped in. Her mother's eyes landed on Inu-Yasha immediately where he stood in front of the door, and she cried out. Jumping back, she nearly lost her balance, but thankfully Inu-Yasha had manners enough to at least catch her arm.

"Mama!" Kagome cried, racing up the steps. Inu-Yasha let go of her mother and the woman put a hand to her chest.

"Oh my…I didn't expect you to come back so soon!" Her voice was strange. Mama never sounded this relieved before. Nor did she sound so afraid. "I thought I would have to wait forever!"

Kagome stopped to take a closer look at her mother. The older woman's face was pale and drawn, a few lines appearing between her brows as she glanced between the two of them. There was something in her eyes that wasn't quite right…something almost _panicky_.

Fear bubbled up in Kagome's chest. Something was definitely wrong here.

"What is it, Mama?" Kagome moved to touch her arm. Mama turned to her, lips pressed in a firm line as if she dreaded something.

"Kagome, there's something you need to kno--"

She trailed off as Inu-Yasha shoved his way past her and out of the well house, stalking into the main compound. Kagome could hear him snuffling loudly, head lifted into the air.

"No…" he breathed, his once calm expression morphing into something much different. "No fuckin' _way_."

He whirled on them both, scowling darkly. "How the _fuck_ is Sesshoumaru here?"

Kagome's heart gave a protesting lurch in her chest. "_Sesshoumaru_?" she whispered, eyes widening in fear. "What do you…how can that be, he's d--" she stopped then, her stomach turning to instant knots at the memory. Thankfully she had been too nervous to eat much today, or Mama would have been wearing it.

"_Dead_, yeah, I know." Inu-Yasha grunted, his brows drawing down in thought. "But I can _smell_ him, clear as day here. It ain't a scent I'm bound to forget, so no, I'm not_ imagining _things." He gave Kagome a dark look and she snapped her mouth shut on the instant protestation that had popped into her mind. His eyes drifted over to Higurashi-san.

"So…what were you going to tell us?"

Although still pale and taut, Mama was able to explain everything she knew to them in a clear, concise voice that left nothing to doubt. It wasn't _everything_ that was going on, certainly, and it seemed to have nothing to do with Inu-Yasha's findings on the surface, but Kagome _knew_ this wasn't all just a big coincidence.

Somehow --_someway_-- Sesshoumaru, although previously dead, was now _alive_ and resurrecting youkai… Or something. She didn't _know_, but whatever it was, it wasn't good.

Never would she have thought to come home to _this_.

Kagome felt her knees loosen beneath her. It was her will alone that kept her standing. "No…"

Mama nodded grimly, her hands fisting in her apron.

Turning her head, Kagome caught sight of Inu-Yasha, who was staring out at the distant horizon, his expression set. What he said summed up the situation perfectly.

"Oh shit."

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**A/N:**

My sincerest apologies of the lateness of such an extremely short chapter but that first half was a _bitch_ to write… --sticks out tongue at Nishioka-- Weird bugger…

But explanations had to be done at some point… --sigh--

Anyway…as you see, no Sess or Rin this chapter… Oh well… I'm hoping the introduction of Kagome and Inu-Yasha will help a little.

As to Inu-Yasha being able to smell his brother, I might as well address that here since I don't know how far into detail I'll mention it in the story. Basically, Sesshoumaru is the only full youkai in the era, thus making his presence much stronger to Inu-Yasha's youkai-attuned senses. He's never scented a youkai in Kagome's era before, and you know you always tend to notice what's not right before anything else.

And it is after this point, manga-readers, that all canon _really_ starts going to pot. Seeing that I had a lot of this planned before the recent manga chapters (that and the manga chapters of the _recent-past_) there will be many changes from the actually _Inu-Yasha_ plot… Please bear with me.

Let's see how my first published attempt at Inu-Yasha _and_ Kagome goes…


End file.
